Town of Takht struggles for better facilities

Gurdeep Singh Mann

Tribune News Service

Talwandi Sabo, November 21

Talwandi Sabo, famous for one of the five takhts of Sikhism - Takht Sri Damdama Sahib- has everything to offer for those trying to attain religious enlightenment, but hardly anything for those with longing to live with modern facilities.

The word ‘Damdama’ literally means ‘breathing-place’ (to rest), but the people in 13 wards of this town situated in the south-east of the district are at unease due to a lack of basic amenities. As of 2011, the town has a total population of 20,589 with 11,062 men and 9,527 women, but the government has cared little for its residents. They have their own share of complaints.

Fire emergency services

“In case of any kind of fire, fire tenders are either called from Rama Mandi, which is 18 km away or from Bathinda, which, too is 30 km away,” said Jagjeet Singh, who sells religious articles near bus stand. He says it takes at least 25 to 40 minutes for a fire tender from Rama Mandi and around one hour or more (depending upon traffic rush) from Bathinda.

The problem has resulted in major mishaps, which were sometime averted by luck, but could have been averted each time, had there been timely availability of fire tenders.

On Diwali eve this year, five roadside stalls selling fire crackers caught fire in the afternoon around 3 pm and an hour later, a car carrying devotees from Bathinda got burnt and fortunately all of its occupants escaped as attendants of a petrol pump doused flames using their fire extinguishers. On the same day, around 8 pm a grocery shop storing firecrackers caught fire wherein 22-year-old son of the shop owner died and material worth Rs 70 lakh was damaged. A day after the festival of lights, a book shop was gutted in the city. A major fire occurred in Kalalwal and Fatta Balu village where two buffaloes and two calves died and hands of two women burnt while trying to save their domestic animals.

Water and health

“This is just one of the problems over which political leaders are baking their breads for long time. There are many other difficulties too. Irrigation water is available in excess when it is not required and water channels run dry when there is utmost shortage of water,” said local resident Gurcharan Singh. Although the Punjab Government claims to have spent Rs 40 lakh on cementing the water channels, but the situation is still weak in many villages here in Talwandi Sabo.

“Apart from water for irrigation, we are also constantly battling for drinking water — the lack of which has lead to an increase in the number of cancer patients,” said local villager Tarsem Chand. He said Giana, Malkana and Jajjal villages were the worst affected and a team of doctors from PGIMER-Chandigarh came to survey to ascertain the ground reality of the disease in Jajjal village few years ago.

“Despite the claims there is hardly anything done to curb the menace which is spreading rapidly. Now, the number of cancer patients in almost every village of the constituency is alarming,” said Sukhchain Singh, one of the relatives of a cancer patient.

He said the lack of potable water was considered as one of the major reasons of the disease, but even then the government seemed to be not concerned about the gravity of the situation.

He said that the sorry state of affairs in Talwandi Sabo was being seen everywhere and huge investments were being spoiled in the form of an expensive RO System installed in Professor Colony of the town, which was lying unused due to lack of care. “The RO need maintenance and due to lack of funds, it is in a state of neglect for a long time due to which people are unable to get potable water,” said Gurmel Singh.

Professor Gurjeet Singh said that the government’s claims of doing huge investments of crores were like a tinge of salt. “The government has recently provided 12 ambulances to NGOs and youth clubs for shifting of patients and road accident victims,” said a private doctor Kewal Bansal. He pointed out that in view of the sorry state of affairs in the government hospital of Talwandi Sabo, economical ambulances were sought by residents for the past long time as patients are always been referred to higher medical institutions in Bathinda.

Education

This town was blessed to become an education hub by the Sikh gurus and at present it has five schools and two universities—Guru Kashi University and Akal University, besides a regional campus of Punjabi University. “The town still lacks a railway station and the nearest railway station is situated at Maur Mandi, which is 19 km away. It becomes difficult to commute,” rues Mohit Singla, a B.Tech student.

Political apathy

He says visits of senior SAD leaders who come to pay obeisance at the Takht every now and then and address thousands of devotees during the occasion of Baisakhi, fails to help Talwandi Sabo residents in any way. The constituency is being represented by four-time MLA Jeetmohinder Sidhu of the SAD who defeated Harminder Jassi of the Congress in 2014 by-elections.

Although Sidhu was considered close to Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal but hardly anything was gained by area residents for larger public interest. “The staunch followers of Sidhu manage to get their routine works pending in various government departments and police stations done through him, but nothing has been done in larger public interest,” said Ravinder Singh.