Residents see red over location of Mohalla Clinics

LUDHIANA: Resentment prevails over selection of sites for opening of “Mohalla clinics” with people from different areas complaining of existing infrastructure being used to open such clinics. At Gagandeep Colony, the mohalla clinic is being established in place of a dharamshala.
On Tuesday, residents of ward number 57 objected to the proposed establishment of the mohalla clinic on the site of a senior citizen hall in a park. B zone senior citizen park and welfare society members, along with area councillor Manju Aggarwal wrote a letter to the deputy commissioner (DC) and MC commissioner on Tuesday. They said that already, there were few parks in the ward and the park in question had been developed after dismantling an old overhead water tank. They said that a hall was constructed for senior citizens and a gym was also built. Members expressed the apprehension that if the hall was converted into a mohalla clinic, then senior citizens would be deprived of their space, which they utilised to socialise and do yoga.
BJP councillor Manju Aggarwal said they were not against mohalla clinics per se but if authorities wanted to open one, they should have chosen some other location. She said that an abandoned cash counter building in zone B could have been a viable location for the mohalla clinic. She added that if it was not possible, then some other location could be identified.
Recently, a dharamshala in Gagandeep colony was converted into a mohalla clinic, much to the chagrin of Pritam Singh Memorial Dharamshala trust members. They now plan to meet MLA Daljit Grewal in this matter. In the ongoing MC general house meeting on February 10, Congress councillor Gurdeep Neetu alleged that the community center at a park in his ward had been converted into a mohalla clinic. He argued with AAP MLA Ashok Prashar about the clinic being set up close to the civil hospital. However, the MLA claimed that mohalla clinics were being developed according to area residents’ demand.