Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Banwarilal Purohit on Thursday ordered that 16 apartments in Maloya be allocated to set up a temporary home for the city’s mentally ill residents while the administration prepares a dedicated facility for them in Sector 34.
The apartments, which will be provided by the Chandigarh Housing Board, will be equipped with all medical facilities through the hiring of medical and paramedical staff, including doctors, nurses, counselors and social workers.
The administrator ordered that the facility be available for use within two months.
His instructions came after requests from several parents regarding the creation of a group home for the mentally ill at Indira Holiday Home in Sector 24.
While visiting Indira Holiday Home on Thursday to review the infrastructure and facilities available there, Purohit said a permanent group home for the mentally ill will be built on a 1.25-acre piece of land in Sector 34, where a home for the elderly will also be built. .
In the meantime, in view of the immediate need for a group home for the mentally ill, a block of 16 CHB dwellings will be provided in Maloya.
The executive body of the Indira Holiday Home Society on Tuesday also decided to recommend the construction of a dedicated facility for the mentally ill at an alternative site, while creating a temporary facility for them.
However, Dina Singh, general secretary of Citizens for Inclusive Living, an organization working for the welfare of people with mental disabilities, said: “CHB apartments in Maloya are completely unsuited to running a group home. This suggestion was unanimously rejected by all parents and mental health professionals at a meeting in July 2019.”
He added that a facility at the Indira Holiday Home was first proposed by a senior UT official and the organization had assured the administration of all help to run the venue efficiently.
UT adviser Dharam Pal said the Maloya flats were just a stopgap measure. “A permanent four-story facility will be established in Sector 34 with all modern facilities. The land of Indira Holiday Home was given for a particular purpose and cannot be changed now. Our effort is to improve it, particularly for youth-related facilities.”
Meanwhile, accompanied by members of the Indira Holiday Home executive committee, including the UT advisor, the administrator inspected the facilities and also the high school that operates on their premises.
He also inspected the Toy Train, which was gifted by Indian Railways in 1966 and was in working order until 2006. The manager ordered to address the matter to restart the train with the railway authorities for children’s entertainment.
In a brief interaction with the older people residing at the facility, Purohit checked on their well-being and asked if they were satisfied with the services.
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