Punjab: AAP legislators question health minister over docs’ availability

Chandigarh: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislators on Tuesday questioned their own ministers in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, raising concerns over issues in their constituencies, with one of them going so far as to say that it feels as though they “are living in Pakistan.”

The prime concern of at least two ruling party legislators —Devinderjeet Singh Laddi Dhose from Dharamkot and Kulwant Singh from SAS Nagar — was the availability of health staff and medical facilities in their assembly constituencies and they questioned health minister Dr Balbir Singh during the question hour on day three of the ongoing budget session.

Dhose, who wanted to know from the minister if the government was considering any proposal to upgrade the hospital in Dharamkot or open a trauma centre, said that Dharamkot was a backward area but was not given any health-related project. He said that the health department deployed doctors on two occasions, but Moga district got only four doctors each time, whereas the smaller district of Malerkotla was allocated 28 doctors. “I want to ask why this discrimination exists. Is Moga not a part of Punjab? It feels as if we are living in Pakistan?” he asked, alleging stepmotherly treatment.

The AAP MLA made these remarks after the health minister stated that no proposal to upgrade the primary health centre (PHC) at Dharamkot to sub-divisional hospital (SDH) was under consideration of the government. Dr Balbir said that PHC Dharamot was under community health centre (CHC) Kot Ise Khan, which was eight kilometres from Dharamkot, and two Ayushman Arogya Kendras had also been established in Dharamkot. As the member did not appear satisfied with the reply and questioned him over the doctors’ availability, the health minister further explained to him the population criterion for setting up medical facilities, stating, “If the district population is 10 lakh, then SDH can be established under it, and since the population of Moga district is less than 10 lakh, there is no proposal to upgrade the Dharamkot hospital.”

Another MLA, Kulwant Singh, also contradicted the health minister’s claims regarding a dispensary in Mohali, telling him that his information was “incomplete and not correct”. The member had asked about the deployment of the necessary health staff at a newly constructed dispensary in Sector 69 and the completion of an under-construction dispensary in Sector 79 of SAS Nagar. In response, Dr Balbir Singh stated that health staff has been deployed temporarily to provide better services in the buildings constructed to start dispensaries in Sector 69 and its adjacent village Saneta of SAS Nagar, whereas for the construction work of building of urban primary health centre in Sector 79, revised detailed estimates of the remaining work have been calculated at ₹151.03 lakh. “After receiving the funds, the work is expected to start in six months and to be completed in about six months,” he added.

The minister said the staff was deployed at the Sector 69 dispensary after he got this question and the member could go cut the ribbon and get some plants planted there.

Kulwant asked Dr Balbir to check his information, stating that no staff member had turned up at the dispensary till 9am. He also questioned the deployment of temporary staff, urging the minister to deploy permanent staff. “As for Sector 79, the reply is not satisfactory. We do not know when funds will come, if they will come at all and how much funds will come,” he said. The minister then gave him the names of the health staff deployed at the dispensary. “We are not going to let the dispensary close down,” he added.

Govt mulling restart of

bullock cart, dog races

The Punjab government is contemplating restarting bullock cart and dog races at the Kila Raipur rural sports event in the state, animal husbandry, fisheries and dairy development minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian announced on Tuesday.

Responding to Amargarh MLA Jaswant Singh Gajjan Majra’s question regarding legalising the sport of bullock cart and dog races, Khudian stated that the state government has notified the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Punjab Amendment) Act, 2019, on March 27, 2024, for bullock cart races in the Kila Raipur Rural Sports event. “Now, to restart bullock cart races in this event, the formulation of the Punjab Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Conduct of Kila Raipur Sports Event and Fair) Rules, 2024, is under consideration. The department has issued extensive guidelines to all the deputy commissioners for dog races in view of the legal position and the instructions related to prevention of the Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960,” he said during question hour.

Gajjan Majra, who belongs to the Aam Aadmi Party, had asked whether any proposal for legalising the sport of bulls and dog racing is under consideration of the state government. Bullock cart races were part of the rural sporting event and fair held at Kila Raipur since the 1930s. However, the Supreme Court banned these sports in 2014, declaring them to be violative of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.

The AAP MLA said that bullock cart and dog races were a traditional sport of Punjab and Haryana. “If there is any legal hurdle, the government should consult the advocate general and find a way to restart the sport because the deputy commissioners and the department officials keep issuing letters and stopping the ongoing events,” he requested. Khudian replied that the file had gone to the chief minister and these sports would be resumed after bringing them into legal ambit in consultation with the advocate general. “People spend lakhs of rupees on these animals for competitions. I am also in favour of holding these events,” he added.

‘Govt bus service to be

started on every route’

Transport minister Laljit Singh Bhullar said the state government is committed to start its bus service on every route of the state so that women can benefit from the free bus service and other passengers can travel with convenience.

Responding to a question raised by Rajpura MLA Neena Mittal, Bhullar said the department will also consider starting government bus service on specific routes based on public demand. “At present, the PRTC is running 290 buses of different categories (ordinary, HVAC and integral coach) under the kilometer scheme. Orders have already been issued to departmental officials to add new buses to the fleets of the Punjab Roadways and PRTC,” he added.