INDIA: Residents of Chandigarh Old Age Home Unhappy At Takeover by State

CHANDIGARH, India (Indian Express), October 3, 2007: Residents of the old age home in Chandigarh's Sector 15 are a disppointed lot. Not all of them are convinced it is a good idea that the administration take over charge of running the home. They fear they will have to face the same bureaucratic approach of the administration just as they did eight years ago. One of the residents was candid: “We get a lot of respect from the Lion’s Club people here. We are a family here. Things, however, will change now,” he feared. Sharing similar sentiments, another inmate said, “Lions Club members even come late in the night to check on our security. We can not expect that kind of treatment from government employees.” Lion’s Club has been managing the Old Age Home since April 1999. Members of the Club believe they have been meted out harsh treatment by the Chandigarh Administration. Dr B. S. Aggarwal, President, Lion’s Club, said, “We were simply served a notice asking us to vacate the home. When we resented, our grants were stopped. We do resent the way the administration went about to take-over. It has hurt us.” The administration, it is said, asked the Club to accommodate beggars, which they refused keeping in mind the security of the inmates. The notice served to the Club is under clause 12 of the agreement which states that the Club would have to vacate the home if they did not maintain it properly. Lions Club members are distressed that no inquiry was conducted in this regard. Ms. Amandeep Kaur, Director, Social Welfare Department, said, “I cannot say much about the issue, I did what I was asked to.” She did not refer to any complaints received against the Club.