MANDYALA KALAN (KHANNA): Two foundation stones laid by different regimes here are now in a pond, one of which has completely sank. Five years ago, the TOI had found both the foundation stones submerged, but now one has drowned just like the projects that were announced with them.
Sarpanch of Mandyala Kalan village Bhagwant Singh said the foundation stone for a government hospital was laid by former chief minister Beant Singh and the other by former Chief Minister Surjeet Singh Barnala for a girls’ college. Both the projects never came up and all that the village has is a dispensary. About the pitiable state of stones, he said no one has tampered with them.
A villager, asking not to be named, said the then chief minister Beant Singh had laid the stone for construction of Shri Guru Gobind Singh Memorial Hospital at Manjhi Sahib on March 15, 1992, but as the project never saw the light of the day, the land slowly got converted into a pond due to the presence of a water source nearby. About the second project, he said words inscribed on the stone had faded before it went under water.
Villager Preetam Singh said there has not been any development in the village and if these projects were executed, they would have reaped benefits. Amrik Singh, a villager, chimed in, “If the planned infrastructure had come up, it would not only benefit the village, but also the neighboring areas. We have three hospitals at a distance of 2km, 8km and 16km, but those are private ones and the nearest government hospital is in Khanna, which is around 17km from their village.”
The villager said though they have a government dispensary, they get only some medicines there and for the rest they have to go to medical shops. He said there are around 1,400 voters in the village with a population of 1,800.
Cabinet minister Gurkirat Singh Kotli, MLA from Khanna and grandson of former chief minister Beant Singh, couldn’t be contacted to know why the hospital didn’t come up.
Even as the sarpanch said the second foundation stone was laid by former CM SS Barnala, a few villagers claimed it was laid by ex-CM Parkash Singh Badal for a road to cremation ground, which to date is kucha.
Sarpanch of Mandyala Kalan village Bhagwant Singh said the foundation stone for a government hospital was laid by former chief minister Beant Singh and the other by former Chief Minister Surjeet Singh Barnala for a girls’ college. Both the projects never came up and all that the village has is a dispensary. About the pitiable state of stones, he said no one has tampered with them.
A villager, asking not to be named, said the then chief minister Beant Singh had laid the stone for construction of Shri Guru Gobind Singh Memorial Hospital at Manjhi Sahib on March 15, 1992, but as the project never saw the light of the day, the land slowly got converted into a pond due to the presence of a water source nearby. About the second project, he said words inscribed on the stone had faded before it went under water.
Villager Preetam Singh said there has not been any development in the village and if these projects were executed, they would have reaped benefits. Amrik Singh, a villager, chimed in, “If the planned infrastructure had come up, it would not only benefit the village, but also the neighboring areas. We have three hospitals at a distance of 2km, 8km and 16km, but those are private ones and the nearest government hospital is in Khanna, which is around 17km from their village.”
The villager said though they have a government dispensary, they get only some medicines there and for the rest they have to go to medical shops. He said there are around 1,400 voters in the village with a population of 1,800.
Cabinet minister Gurkirat Singh Kotli, MLA from Khanna and grandson of former chief minister Beant Singh, couldn’t be contacted to know why the hospital didn’t come up.
Even as the sarpanch said the second foundation stone was laid by former CM SS Barnala, a few villagers claimed it was laid by ex-CM Parkash Singh Badal for a road to cremation ground, which to date is kucha.
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