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Time of India
9 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Residents' body asks Haryana govt to roll back hiked power tariff
Panchkula: Haryana govt's recent decision to hike electricity rates up to four times has sparked public outrage, especially in Kalka and Panchkula. After residents welfare associations (RWAs), Shivalik Vikas Manch has strongly opposed the move, demanding a complete rollback of the revised rates and a waiver of residential electricity bills for economically weaker sections. In a memorandum sent to CM Nayab Singh Saini and the power minister, Manch president Vijay Bansal criticised the govt's decision, citing severe impact on residents already grappling with job losses due to the closure of major industries like HMT Tractors and ACC Cement in Pinjore. He pointed out that unemployment in the area had surged, leaving people in no position to bear additional financial burdens such as inflated power bills. "Households which previously received a monthly bill of Rs 1,000, are now getting bills exceeding Rs 4,000," Bansal said. The senior Congress leader said electricity tariffs in BJP-ruled Haryana, which were already the highest in the region, had pushed industries to neighbouring states like Himachal and Uttarakhand.
Time of India
12-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
5 years on, new polyclinic hospital building in Pinjore remains incomplete
Panchkula: In a telling reflection of the sorry state of affairs, the construction of a new building for the polyclinic hospital in Pinjore, approved five years ago with a budget of Rs 7.52 crore, remains stalled. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now According to the public works department (PWD), the scope of the project expanded beyond the original plan. Initially, three floors were to be constructed within the sanctioned budget, but five floors were eventually built, even as the building is an unfinished state. "The approved amount has nearly been exhausted, so a revised estimate for the remaining work has been prepared and sent to the state government. Once approval is granted, the remaining construction will be completed," stated the executive engineer of the PWD construction division in response to an RTI query. The administrative approval for the project was granted on July 14, 2020. However, due to delays and mismanagement, the incomplete building is now deteriorating and will likely require additional maintenance and incur further costs. The existing hospital building, constructed during the British era, is too small to accommodate the current staff and patient load. With the new facility in limbo, residents are forced to rely on this cramped, outdated structure. Basic medical services are lacking; for instance, there is no X-ray facility, compelling patients to travel to Panchkula civil hospital, Chandigarh hospitals, or private facilities for even routine diagnostics. "The construction work has been halted for about one and a half years and has not resumed. The unfinished building is slowly falling into disrepair, yet neither the government, the health department, nor the local administration is taking any responsibility," said Vijay Bansal, an area resident and state president of Shivalik Vikas Manch. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "The BJP govt has only shown dreams of providing employment, health, and education facilities to the residents of Kalka assembly constituency in its tenure of about 11 years, while the ground reality is telling something else. Development work is not happening fast in Kalka assembly constituency. Therefore, Pinjore-Kalka area has lagged in all other areas including employment, health, and education," alleged Bansal, who is also a Congress leader and wrote to the chief minister and health minister demanding health facilities in Kalka, Pinjore, and Morni area as soon as possible.
Time of India
11-06-2025
- 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
10-06-2025
- 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
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 |
