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Time of India
2 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
3 years, 2 promises, and still no progress: Panchkula's healthcare projects in limbo
1 2 3 Panchkula: In April 2022, then Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar stood before the public with a promise: two major healthcare projects would soon transform the medical landscape of Panchkula district. Fast forward to 2025, and those promises remain unfulfilled, leaving residents frustrated and underserved. The first project aimed to relocate the aging and overcrowded Kalka civil hospital to Tipra village. The second was the construction of a 25-bedded primary health centre (PHC) in Raytan village. But three years later, one project is tangled in bureaucratic red tape, while the other has been deemed unfeasible due to geographical challenges. Kalka Hospital: A promise stuck in paperwork The Kalka civil hospital, built in 1975, is bursting at the seams. Patients often wait in cramped corridors, and medical staff struggle to provide care in a space that has long outlived its capacity. The proposed relocation to Tipra village was supposed to change that. Ten acres of land were identified by the municipal council in Pinjore, and a request was sent to expedite the transfer to the health department. An estimated budget of Rs 18.23 crore was forwarded to the director general of health services. But since Feb 2025, the proposal has stalled at the government level. No further action has been taken. Meanwhile, the hospital continues to operate in its outdated facility, and patients — especially those from economically weaker sections — are forced to travel to Panchkula or Chandigarh for treatment, often at great financial and physical cost. Raytan PHC: A stream of problems The second project, a PHC in Raytan, has faced a different kind of obstacle — nature itself. Of the three sites inspected, one in Chiken village was initially considered feasible. But during a site visit in April 2025, officials discovered a seasonal stream (choe) running through the middle of the land. The presence of a hume pipe culvert and the risk of heavy water flow during monsoons rendered the site unsuitable for construction. Despite having two other sites to consider, no alternative has been finalized in three years. Residents argue that this delay reflects a lack of urgency and accountability. Public outcry and political pressure Vijay Bansal, president of Shivalik Vikas Manch and the RTI applicant who unearthed these details, didn't mince words. "Due to weak and ineffective political leadership in Kalka and the negligence of officials, a health centre has not been constructed for the semi-hilly regions like Kalka, Pinjore, and Morni," he said. A senior Congress leader has also stepped in, writing to current CM Nayab Singh Saini, urging swift action on the pending projects. The letter highlights the dire consequences of delayed healthcare infrastructure — residents suffering from life-threatening conditions without access to proper treatment.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Sewage polluting Kaushalya dam: Cong neta writes to CM
Panchkula: The water of Kaushalya dam near Pinjore can lead to a serious health hazard because of increasing contamination from sewage and waste dumping, alleged Congress leader and Shivalik Vikas Manch President, advocate Vijay Bansal . Bansal Tuesday sent a formal memorandum to CM Nayab Singh Saini, the NGT, HSVP, and the irrigation and public health departments, urging immediate action to prevent polluted water from entering the dam. He said the dam, constructed in 2012 at a cost of nearly Rs 150 crore, was intended to provide clean drinking water to Panchkula's urban sectors through a treatment plant. However, untreated sewage from Pinjore city drains, runoff from a nearby cowshed, waste from a municipal dumping ground, and discharge from a slum settlement are polluting the dam's reservoir. Bansal warned that if this continues, the contaminated water being supplied to residents could trigger a major public health crisis. He criticised the govt and local authorities, stating that despite spending over Rs 180 crore on the dam and pipelines, residents are still being supplied unclean water. He also highlighted that sewage from areas such as Chhuna Chowk, Bairagi Mohalla, Gurudwara Road, and Bhima Devi Colony flows untreated into the dam via drains that pass through garbage heaps, making the water even more toxic. Bansal pointed out that wastewater from the nearby govt's security facility is also entering the river unchecked, violating NGT regulations. He demanded the immediate relocation of the dumping ground, installation of treatment plants, and stricter enforcement to ensure a clean water supply. Panchkula: The water of Kaushalya dam near Pinjore can lead to a serious health hazard because of increasing contamination from sewage and waste dumping, alleged Congress leader and Shivalik Vikas Manch President, advocate Vijay Bansal. Bansal Tuesday sent a formal memorandum to CM Nayab Singh Saini, the NGT, HSVP, and the irrigation and public health departments, urging immediate action to prevent polluted water from entering the dam. He said the dam, constructed in 2012 at a cost of nearly Rs 150 crore, was intended to provide clean drinking water to Panchkula's urban sectors through a treatment plant. However, untreated sewage from Pinjore city drains, runoff from a nearby cowshed, waste from a municipal dumping ground, and discharge from a slum settlement are polluting the dam's reservoir. Bansal warned that if this continues, the contaminated water being supplied to residents could trigger a major public health crisis. He criticised the govt and local authorities, stating that despite spending over Rs 180 crore on the dam and pipelines, residents are still being supplied unclean water. He also highlighted that sewage from areas such as Chhuna Chowk, Bairagi Mohalla, Gurudwara Road, and Bhima Devi Colony flows untreated into the dam via drains that pass through garbage heaps, making the water even more toxic. Bansal pointed out that wastewater from the nearby govt's security facility is also entering the river unchecked, violating NGT regulations. He demanded the immediate relocation of the dumping ground, installation of treatment plants, and stricter enforcement to ensure a clean water supply.
Time of India
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Locals demand stadium on land acquired 30 yrs ago for tourist complex
Panchkula: Villagers of Kajiyana in Pinjore block Sunday put forth the demand for the construction of a sports stadium for local youth on a piece of long-unused land—acquired 30 years ago for a tourism complex. The villagers, supported by the panchayat samiti and its chairperson Promila Sharma, have submitted a formal resolution demanding a stadium on the land. They said the facility would benefit youths from Raithan, Pinjore, Morni, and nearby rural areas who currently struggle to access expensive private sports demand was raised during a public meeting led by Vijay Bansal, advocate and president of Shivalik Vikas Manch, during which residents expressed frustration over decades of govt inaction. Bansal rued that successive govts had ignored the Kalka Assembly segment, with little to no development seen in the area. He added that under the 2013 Land Acquisition Act, if acquired land remains unused for five years, it must be returned to the original owners. Bansal had even issued a legal notice to the state govt in 2013, threatening court action if the land wasn't returned or used for its intended response to the notice, the tourism department claimed in 2015 that it had a Rs 3 crore plan under the PPP model for the tourism centre, yet no action followed. With continued delay and growing demand for youth sports infrastructure, villagers and local leaders now strongly advocate repurposing the land. tnn Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Mother's Day wishes , messages , and quotes !
Time of India
04-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
3 decades on, land acquired for tourist complex lies abandoned in Pinjore
Panchkula: Thirty have passed since the Haryana tourism department acquired 46 bigha 5 biswa of land from farmers in Kajiyana village of Pinjore to make a "new tourist complex." However, the land continues to lie abandoned to this day. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Although the then chief minister, late Chaudhary Bhajan Lal, laid the foundation stone for the tourist complex on Feb 22, 1996, the successive goverments and state tourism department failed to make any plans to construct the centre. During the land acquisition process, it was promised that local youth would be provided with employment opportunities. However, with the change in governments, the project was put on the backburner and seemed to have been forgotten. As per the tourism department records, a notification under a section of the Land Acquisition Act was issued by the govt on February 14, 1995, and under section 6 on July 24, 1995, respectively. A sum of Rs 23,28,585 was paid to the landowners as compensation in February 1996. Following this, the physical possession of the land was taken in 1998 by the tourism department. The land at present is covered by a boundary wall with an old, rugged Haryana tourism display board visible. The place has wild grass growth and is in a very bad condition. After a delay of many years, the tourism department in 2015 had planned a project under the PPP (public-private partnership) mode at an estimated cost of Rs 3 crore for the development of an integrated tourism resort-cum-spa on the said land. However, the plan remained only on papers. A senior officer from the tourism department, who preferred anonymity, told TOI that at present there is a proposal to develop this site as village tourism. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "Swiss tents are being planned to be set up here, and formal approval from the authorities concerned is awaited," he said. Meanwhile, residents of the area have no hopes from the department anymore as three decades have gone by thinking something will come up to give a fillip to the tourism here. The villagers instead demand the return of the acquired land. "As per the new Land Acquisition Act 2012, if the govt does not utilise the acquired land within five years, it is mandatory to return the land to the landowners. We demand from the govt to return the acquired land to the farmers, as it has been a long time since the acquisition, and the purpose for which it was acquired has not been fulfilled," said Vijay Bansal, president, Shivalik Vikas Manch. MSID:: 120851391 413 |
Time of India
04-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Amravati electricity sub-division office receives staff after nearly four years
1 2 Panchkula: After a long wait of three and a half years, the Amravati sub-division office of the electricity department in Panchkula has finally been staffed with an assistant engineer and other personnel. This development comes nearly two months after TOI raised the issue, leading to the approval of files regarding staff hiring and the appointment of the AE. Assistant engineer Vikrant Chaudhary has been posted here. "Along with this post, which heads this sub-division, all staff will automatically get posted here," said an official. A total of 78 posts were sanctioned in the Amravati sub-division office, including one AE (electric), one junior system engineer, one JE, four JE electric, six AFM, 20 Line Men, 34 ALM, one assistant FO, and four UDC (FO). However, even after three and a half years, the office was not operational. Residents faced difficulties as only a clerical staff member or a peon was available. In the absence of an AE, who acts as the SDO, and a JE, they had to travel several kilometres to the Panchkula office for electricity-related work. The appointment of staff in this sub-division is a significant relief for residents of Amravati Colony, DLF Colony, Trident Colony, Surajpur, Rajipur, and Rampur Siuri, including various villages in Pinjore Raitan area. "Residents have welcomed the appointment of the SDO here after nearly four years. The appointment should have been done when the office was set up. We now demand that a power substation be opened here as soon as possible since summer is here," said Vijay Bansal, state president of Shivalik Vikas Manch. Under the Electricity Distribution Corporation Conservation Restructuring scheme , approval was given to open several sub-division offices of the electricity department in Haryana in 2021. Under this scheme, the electricity sub-division office was approved in Amravati Enclave, Panchkula, but the sub-divisional officer and other officers and employees were not appointed. To solve the electricity problems in Pinjore Raitan area, a 66 kV power substation was also approved, but even after three and a half years, work on the power substation has not started. During summer, people face power shortage issues in this area.
