Residents cry foul over the non development of community, health facilities at SST Nagar, Patiala
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in
The residents of many localities in the royal city Patiala are forced to shell extra money on celebrating their functions, for routine health services due to the apathy of the local Improvement Trust Patiala.
Sewa Singh Thikriwala (SST) Nagar is one of the planed areas developed by the Improvement Trust Patiala and is one the key residential area of the royal city Patiala on Patiala-Chandigarh road.
Though the former health and local bodies minister is not in the fray this time, but his son Mohit Mohindra is contesting the elections from Patiala (Rural) constituency on Congress ticket. SST Nagar falls in that assembly constituency. He is highlighting the achievement of the Channi led congress government, his father’s work done as health and local bodies’ minister.
When checked on ground, the reality seems to be different in one of the main, posh locality of Patiala (Rurla)-SST Nagar.
Improvement Trust Patiala had reserved a space for a hotel, hospital, health centre, school, community centre etc in the SST Nagar for the residents to have an easy accessibility around their residence.
A hotel, hospital, school were developed by the private players. Improvement Trust made a community centre and reserved a space for health centre in the SST Nagar. The responsibility of community centre maintenance and development of health centre lied with the Improvement Trust Patiala.
“The said community centre building falls in the assembly constituency of the state local bodies’ minister and despite that it building is in dilapidated condition. This was done in a planned manner by the authorities to accommodate the residents of posh locality of SST Nagar and the persons close to the local bodies’ minister. The minister ignores the claim of the other surrounding residents of SST Nagar, where many middle class, lower income groups, below poverty line reside and who can avail the facility of this community centre” said a resident of Sunder Nagar, adjoining the SST Nagar.
Residents cry foul over the non development of community, health facilities at SST Nagar, Patiala. “When the hotel is running in the same area which is just 100 metres away from the community centre is not creating any hindrance than how can a community centre is disturbing the residents?” said another resident of the nearby locality.
“If the minister had showed any interest in up keeping, running the said community centre than we were not forced to shell extra money on our functions. It was an asset and income generation venture of the local trust whereas it has now become a liability for the trust” said a women resident of the adjoining area.
“We have to pay handsome amount to the private hospital doctors for even a simple health checkup. Had the Trust developed a health centre , for which the space is reserved in the planning in the SST nagar, the situation had been different. Our representative in the state government remained as health minister, he knows all about the ground reality but did nothing to even make a boundary wall of the health centre” said a pregnant woman.
When contacted the executive officer of the Improvement Trust Patiala Rajesh Chaudhary he said “we had already floated the tender and no one showed interest in the maintenance, renovation of the community centre. Regarding the space reserved for health centre , the trust had written letters to the health department and the health department denied the proposal. Later the trust took permission from the government and enmarked that space as nursing home. Again no one showed interest in the auction of that space.”
February 3,2022
