State Commission for Protection of Child Rights urges Punjab govt. to reduce school bus fares

Chandigarh January 21, 2015

State Commission for Protection of Child Rights Punjab, Mr. Sukesh Kalia Chairman today urged the Punjab government to ensure reduction in private school bus fares with the decrease of petrol and diesel prices.

Addressing a meeting of the board members, Mr. Kalia expressed pleasure over the time to time reduction in petrol and diesel prices by Government of India; he said that the benefit of the reduced petrol diesel prices should reach the parents of the children who were commuting in the school buses.

He suggested that bus fares should be in accordance with the deflation of petrol and diesel prices.

Mr. Kalia expressed concern over the inadequate medical specialists and infrastructure in the government hospitals causing irreparable losses and suggested that the government hospitals be equipped with adequate medical and para medical staff.

During the meeting, Mr. Sukesh Kalia summoned the Civil Surgeon and SMO Ludhiana to take stock of the latest updates in the recently occurred unfortunate incident in the newly set up mother and child care hospital in Ludhiana where 6 newly born infants died due to inadequate staff and insufficient infrastructure and funds. 

After explaining the entire incident in detail both Civil Surgeon and SMO briefed Mr. Kalia about the strict administrative action taken against the medical officers and other para medical staff found guilty of negligence during the high level enquiry conducted in the incident. The Chairman also asked them to take ample administrative measures so that this kind of unfortunate situation could be averted in future.

Mr. Kalia also assured the health officers that their genuine grievances and hardships would be considered at the higher level and resolved. Referring to the lack of funds for the newly set up Mother and Child Institutes in the state, Mr. Kalia said that he would personally take up this issue with the Chief Minister and brief him in writing that how the general public was being harassed due to the financial crunch.