Malerkotla: Congress blames AAP for ignoring its ‘reward to Muslims on Eid’. Here is how the newly created ‘Muslim majority’ district of Punjab is struggling

In May 2021, then-CM Captain Amarinder Singh-led Congress Government gave a ‘gift’ to the Muslims in Punjab by declaring Muslim-majority Malerkotla as a district. The social gathering promised it throughout the 2017 state elections, and the ballot promise was fulfilled months earlier than the scheduled Assembly elections. People of Malerkotla, which has a 68.5 per cent Muslim inhabitants adopted by 20.70 per cent Muslims and solely 9.49 per cent Sikhs (2011 Census), anticipated to see adjustments at an enormous scale after it turned a district. However, over two years have handed, and nothing notably has modified for the youngest district.

According to an unique floor report by The Indian Express, Malerkotla city is ready for medical doctors, roads and higher colleges. The primary facilities within the newly fashioned district are removed from actuality, and folks have began it calling ‘naam ka zila’ or ‘district for the namesake’.

The painful state of the civil hospital

The ordeal of the poor and marginalised who go to the federal government hospitals for remedy reveals the crumbling healthcare system within the state. Aam Aadmi Party, which guarantees a greater healthcare system, has not appointed medical doctors and healthcare employees within the civil hospital. Indian Express report famous that every one ten Emergency Medical Officers (EMOs) posts are vacant. There is just one specialist physician that has to deal with emergencies all day.

On paper, there are 27 posts of medical doctors, out of which 15 are vacant. There needs to be 32 nurses, however the hospital has solely 17. Out of 25 ward attendants, 11 are but to be employed. In an announcement, senior medical officer (SMO) Dr Jagjit Singh stated, “There’s extreme rush at the emergency as all posts of EMOs are currently vacant. A specialist doctor handles emergencies. However, we have already started free-of-cost treatment for TB, hepatitis and other diseases as per norms for district-level hospitals.” He additionally serves because the gynaecologist.

The sufferers lined up until 2 PM every single day, and most of them had been despatched again to return the following day. Even after getting checks carried out and being recognized with ailments like Hepatitis C, sufferers have to attend for days for his or her flip and get a subscription for the drugs.

Submerged roads and potholes

The roads of the city aren’t any higher. There is a ‘labour mandi’ within the metropolis the place the day by day wagers stand every single day, hoping to get employed. That “mandi” is principally Malerkotla’s Dilli Gate, a highway resulting in the federal government colleges. Even after two years of changing into a district, this highway has not seen good days. It will get submerged in rainwater rapidly, and folks maintain guessing the place the potholes are whereas driving.

A handful of lecturers and lecture rooms for over 2,000 college students

Children residing in a district anticipate higher schooling however not the kids of Malerkotla. There are 960 college students within the authorities senior secondary faculty for boys. Due to the scarcity of lecture rooms and lecturers, they’ve to review in two shifts. Principal Aarti Gupta advised Indian Express they’re in need of 15 lecture rooms, together with laboratories. For 300 college students in lessons 11 and 12, there are solely eight lecturers. AAP, which boasts its schooling coverage, is but to announce any new constructing for the varsity. “Currently, we haven’t been told of any plans for a new building for the school,” stated Gupta.

Furthermore, a portion of the varsity has been vacated for the workplace of district schooling officer (DEO). Instead of creating a brand new workplace, the schooling division determined to grab away a part of the varsity.

Coming to the Girl’s faculty, there are over 1,300 college students who additionally examine in two shifts as a result of scarcity of lecture rooms and lecturers. Thankfully, a brand new constructing is arising within the faculty, however it’s unclear how lengthy it’ll take to get constructed. Notably, there are solely two rooms for 214 college students of the first faculty positioned within the Girls’ faculty. A brand new constructing for the first faculty is but to be introduced.

When Capt Amarinder Singh declared Malerkotla because the twenty third district of Punjab, he introduced an array of latest tasks. A brand new medical school with a finances of 400 crores, a brand new bus stand, a brand new diploma school for women, a brand new all-women police station and the restoration of Mubarak Manzil Palace had been among the many tasks that had been introduced. All these tasks are nonetheless on paper, gathering mud.

Deputy commissioner of Malerkotla Sanyam Aggarwal advised Indian Express that the proposed medical school is a three way partnership between the Government of India and Punjab. The centre has already sanctioned the primary instalment of Rs 97 crore. However, Indian Express’s sources revealed that the AAP authorities will not be happy with the location the earlier authorities proposed for the mission and is in search of a brand new web site, resulting in pointless delay.

Aggarwal additional added that the all-women police station was established in 2021, and the improve work value Rs 30 lakh is underway. However, talking of the brand new bus stand, she added that the state authorities is but to launch Rs 9 crore.

Congress blamed AAP for delays in tasks

Congress chief and former Cabinet Minister Razia Sultana expressed her dismay over halted tasks. She stated, “We do not blame CM (Bhagwant Mann), but local AAP MLA (Mohammad Jamil Ur Rahman) for it. He has failed to take ahead projects which were already sanctioned, let alone get new ones. They (the AAP government) are now trying to create hurdles in the medical college project even though the site was already finalised. Earlier, we had at least 23 doctors at a local hospital, which has reduced to half.”

Before AAP got here to energy, work for women’ schools and authorities colleges had been began by the earlier authorities. However, now the work has been stagnant. She stated, “They had even failed to operationalise the girls’ college and government school for which work was already started before AAP came. Not a single new penny has been sanctioned in two years.” Her husband and former DGP Mohammed Mustafa stated, “It is all due to the incompetency of the local MLA who has been a party hopper for his life. From SAD to BSP to Congress to AAP, he has been everywhere for want of a ticket.”

On the opposite hand, AAP MLA Rehman claimed the tasks are underway within the city. He stated, “We have got a new 66KW power grid approved, and there won’t be any power issues for the next 40 years. Site selection work for medical college is in progress. Buildings for new girls’ colleges and schools are near completion. I have got Rs 8 crore sanctioned for the refurbishment of streets and kutcha roads in outer areas of the town and another one crore for roads and sewage overall. Since 50% of the Kamboj Muslim community here depends on vegetable farming, we plan a food processing unit to procure their produce.”

While leaders, administration and state authorities are transferring slowly, the locals within the youngest district of Punjab are but to see any notable adjustments on the bottom.