Chandigarh: State disability commissioner directs UT to expedite work to improve bus stand accessibility
Having a benchmark disability, Bhola highlighted that on visiting the railway counter in ISBT-17, he found the railway counter on the second floor without ramp, tactile tiles, handrails at improper height and no accessible bathrooms as per standard norms. In his complaint filed under Section 80 of the Right of Persons with Disability Act, 2016, he highlighted that there are no accessibility measures opted in the bus stand i.e. no braille enabled sign board, no audio visual announcement system, no reserved parking space with standard parking logo and the staff at railway counter being insensitive and rude to disabled person.
During the earlier hearing held on June 20, 2025, representatives from the Chandigarh Transport Undertaking (CTU) and engineering department appeared before the commission. CTU informed that the proposal for accessibility upgrades had been submitted to the engineering department on April 4, 2025. However, the architectural drawings necessary to implement the upgrades at ISBT-17 were still pending from the department of urban planning.
Taking serious note of the delay, the commission directed the concerned officials to obtain and submit the drawings by July 10, 2025, ensuring no further deferment.
Meanwhile, the engineering department confirmed that at ISBT-43, accessibility-related civil works such as laying of tactile tiles and construction of ramps have been completed. Photographic evidence and a written affidavit from the responsible SDO were submitted to the commission.
The commission also directed that the remaining issues mentioned in the petition be addressed promptly upon receipt of required documents from the urban planning department. The next hearing is scheduled for July 10, 2025.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Chandigarh: Portraits of India's freedom struggle lie framed in neglect
Lying forgotten in the basement of the TS Central State Library, Sector 17, the National Gallery of Portraits, a tribute to India's freedom struggle, is crying for attention. Despite free entry and its location in the heart of the city, the faded panels, defunct audio-visual equipment and peeling walls in the stuffy basement keep visitors away from the gallery, last renovated in 2007. (HT Photo) Opened in 1977, the gallery houses 41 panels of oil paintings and murals, and sculptures of national leaders, tracing the country's fight for independence from the 1700s to the 1900s. But today, it stands as a crumbling reflection of official apathy, passed on from department to department, yet left abandoned and deprived of even basic upkeep. As a result, despite its location in the heart of Chandigarh and free entry, the gallery barely draws visitors. On Saturday, operational between 10 am and 5 pm, the gallery saw only one visitor by 3 pm. The exhibits narrate India's freedom movement — from the first war of independence in 1857 and the Ghadar movement in the early 1900s, to the non-cooperation campaigns of 1920, the Quit India Movement in 1942, and the mutinies and massacres in Punjab at that time. The gallery was initially managed by the UT department of higher education before being transferred to the department of cultural affairs in 2007, when it was renovated and re-inaugurated by then UT administrator Gen SF Rodrigues (retd). Recently, the department of cultural affairs passed the baton back to the higher education department, but there has been no news of the gallery's revival. The appalling decay is felt the moment one steps in. A musty, stagnant smell in the basement welcomes visitors, exacerbated by the lack of air conditioning. On the left side of the entrance, an audio-visual corner has been lying defunct for more than a year. A sign still promises free guided tours at 11 am and 3 pm and movie screenings every Sunday, but none have been held in recent memory. Peeling walls in the gallery further paint a picture of neglect. Worse, every monsoon, the basement gets flooded with rainwater. Only recently did the engineering department install a pump to drain the water. A book shelf offering literature on the freedom movement was damaged due to dampness and recurring waterlogging, while the books fell prey to termite infestation. Staffing, too, has dwindled. Compared to 7-8 permanent employees, including a gallery in-charge, education officer, librarian, clerk, peon and watchman, the gallery now runs on just three contractual workers. No recruitments were done after the permanent staff retired. 'The cultural affairs department often left the maintenance to the library since the gallery lies within its premises,' said an official on condition of anonymity. Isha Kamboj, director of the Government Museum and Art Gallery, Sector 10, declined to comment, stating the charge had been transferred. On the higher education department's part, Rubinderjit Singh Brar, director of higher education, said, 'Around two weeks ago, we received communication that the department of cultural affairs is handing over the gallery to higher education. We will look into it and take appropriate action.' Until then, the stories of freedom struggle will continue to fade quietly, unheard and unseen.
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Indian Express
Punjab: Gulab Chand Kataria hosts shabad kirtan to mark Guru Tegh Bahadur's 350th martyrdom anniversary
The Punjab Raj Bhavan Tuesday evening reverberated with devotional hymns as it commemorated the 350th martyrdom anniversary of the ninth Sikh Guru, Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur, with a solemn shabad kirtan. Padma Shri Hazuri Ragi Bhai Harjinder Singh Ji Srinagar Wale, a renowned exponent of Gurbani Kirtan, led the recital at the Guru Nanak Dev Auditorium, filling the venue with spiritual resonance. His renditions paid tribute to Guru Tegh Bahadur's supreme sacrifice and message of courage, truth, and selfless service. UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria, accompanied by his wife Anita Kataria and family, joined the sangat in humble devotion. 'I consider myself the luckiest person who got the chance to perform sewa on this pious occasion,' he said. Deeply moved by the historic moment, he added, 'It is a moment of spiritual fulfilment in the best traditions of sarbat da bhala (welfare of all).' In keeping with the Sikh tradition of equality, the Administrator later participated in langar sewa, serving food alongside others. The Raj Bhavan premises were transformed into a sacred space, resonating with Waheguru Simran and the egalitarian ethos of Sikhism. On the occasion, Kataria unveiled 'Spiritual Journey of Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib', a pictorial book authored by Punjab State Information Commissioner Harpreet Sandhu, to mark the martyrdom year. The Administrator also felicitated Bhai Harjinder Singh and his jatha, along with Granthi Singhs of Gurdwara Patshahi Dasvi, Sector 8, Chandigarh, who performed the sewa of Guru Granth Sahib and Palki Sahib. The event saw participation from Punjab Cabinet ministers Gurmeet Singh Khudian, Sanjeev Arora, and Ravjot Singh; Punjab Chief Secretary K A P Sinha; UT Chief Secretary Rajeev Verma; Municipal Commissioner Amit Kumar; Mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla; UTCA president Sanjay Tandon; and senior civil and police officers of Punjab and Chandigarh. Families of Raj Bhavan staff were present as well.
Hans India
7 days ago
- Hans India
Bangladesh Air Force jet crashes into Dhaka school building
Dhaka: A Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft crashed into a school building in capital Dhaka Monday afternoon, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media division of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, has confirmed. According to the ISPR, the Bangladesh Air Force's Chinese-made F-7 BGI training aircraft took off at 1:06 pm, local time on Monday and crashed into the Milestone School and College building in Dhaka's Uttara around 1.30 PM. "The Fire Service has confirmed the death of at least one person in the incident. Rescue work is underway at the scene," Bangladesh's leading Bengali daily Prothom Alo reported, stating that the school building caught fire after the plane crashed. The report mentioned that four injured people have been taken to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) by an Air Force helicopter. A Milestone College teacher told 'The Daily Star' newspaper that he was standing near the college building when the aircraft hit the front side of the three-storey school building, trapping several students. "The college teachers and staff rushed to rescue the students. Members of the army arrived shortly afterwards, followed by firefighters who joined the rescue operation," the newspaper reported. Members of the Bangladesh Army and eight engines of Fire Service and Civil Defence rushed to the spot and started rescue operations, according to a fire service notification. Meanwhile, Dhaka Tribune reported that eght units from the Uttara, Tongi, Pallabi, Kurmitola, Mirpur, and Purbachal fire services are working at the scene. "ideos circulating on social media show several people being rescued with injuries. They are reportedly being taken to Uttara Adhunik Hospital, Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Kurmitola General Hospital, Kuwait Bangladesh Friendship Govt Hospital, Uttara Women's Medical College, Shaheed Monsur Ali Medical College Hospital," the newspaper reported.
