Punjab governor and UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria called for inclusive development of the city, emphasising the benefits must reach the last person. From left : Senior advocate ML Sarin, additional chief secretary to Punjab government Balamurugan, theatre director Neelam Mansingh Chaudhary, former PU V-C Arun Kumar Grover, former Chief of Army Staff VP Malik, governor Gulab Chand Kataria (centre), former IPS officer Samant Goel (behind Kataria), MP Rajinder Gupta, former bureaucrat RI Singh, former Union secretary Vini Mahajan, former Haryana chief secretary Keshni Anand Arora and former PGI director Dr KK Talwar during an event in Sector 17 on Saturday. (HT Photo)Kataria was present at the first anniversary celebration of the Chandigarh Citizens Foundation (CCF) at Sector 17 on Saturday. Congratulating CCF, Kataria asked its 12 specified groups working on tourism, health, sports and other fields to give suggestions for the betterment of the city. “I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the president of the Chandigarh Citizens Foundation, former Chief of Army Staff General VP Malik, all the office-bearers, members, volunteers, and collaborating institutions of the organisation on this occasion. Within just one year, you have successfully developed this organisation into a strong public platform that connects various sections of society,” he added. In one year, the foundation has advanced citizen participation, mental health (Project Saathi for students), elderly care (Project Seva), emergency response training with PGIMER, mentorship programmes, and local talent promotion through 12 focus groups covering health, security, arts, science, education, women empowerment and more, supported by over 200 volunteers. The governor highlighted Chandigarh’s unique planned design by Le Corbusier, its green spaces, educational institutions, and Prime Minister Modi’s description of it as an ideal model of development for India. Real development, he stressed, must be inclusive—reaching the last person through opportunities, dignity, safety, and empowerment for all sections of society.Kataria emphasised the need to make Chandigarh the country’s number one city and appreciated the dedicated efforts by all stakeholders. Highlighting education achievements, he said Chandigarh has emerged as a leader in school education, and government schools have recorded outstanding results at the 10+2 level. Referring to the health sector, the governor reiterated his vision of developing Chandigarh as a regional medical hub, stating that patients from across the country and abroad visit the city for quality treatment. He further highlighted the introduction of evening OPD services and said that all 48 dispensaries in the city would be adequately equipped to provide better healthcare facilities. Stressing the importance of sports, he announced that another marathon, along with several other sporting activities, would be organised in November, adding that Chandigarh possesses immense potential to excel in sports. Speaking on the occasion, General VP Malik said, “Our first year has been about establishing credibility. The years ahead have to be about lasting impact. We intend to expand both SAATHI and SEWA further, while launching new initiatives, including basic life support and first-aid training for ordinary citizens across the tricity so that families and communities are better equipped to handle medical emergencies.”He said the foundation would soon launch the CCF mentorship programme, under which experienced professionals would provide free practical mentorship and guidance to young people. Looking ahead to Chandigarh’s 75th year, he said CCF also aims to create platforms for the city’s young musicians, poets, writers, actors and dancers while reconnecting generations of Chandigarh residents through meaningful civic and cultural engagement.“My expectation is that CCF should be remembered not for the events it organised, but for the culture of responsible citizenship it helped build—a Chandigarh known not only as the city beautiful, but as the city of responsible citizens,” General Malik added.Reflecting on its journey since its inception, CCF highlighted how it has evolved into a vibrant platform promoting meaningful public dialogue, collaboration and citizen participation for the sustainable development of the Chandigarh region while contributing to nation-building. During its inaugural year, CCF organised 49 programmes through its 12 focus groups, covering diverse areas including education, healthcare, science, public policy, environment, culture, heritage, leadership, youth development, sports, national security and social welfare.A major highlight of the evening was the presentation of the CCF Scroll of Honour to 28 distinguished individuals whose exceptional voluntary contributions played a pivotal role in shaping the foundation during its formative year. The foundation also felicitated Amrit Sagar Mittal, vice chairman of Sonalika Tractors, its first founding corporate member in recognition of the important role played by responsible corporate partnerships in strengthening citizen-led social initiatives. Prominent personalities present at the occasion included former PU vice-chancellor Arun Kumar Grover, justice Hemant Gupta, former PGIMER director KK Talwar, ML Sarin, former member of the House of Lords, United Kingdom, Diljit Rana, former bureaucrat RI Singh, Neelam Man Singh, MP Rajinder Gupta, Lt Gen Pushpendra, former MP Satya Pal Jain among others.Box Monitoring system to check estimated cost of tenders In a zestful manner, the governor said over all these years he hasn’t been able to do anything about the engineering department. Kataria said there is no monitoring system to check the estimated cost of a tender, whether the cost calculated is genuine or overstated. When the estimated cost is quoted more than the given price, bidding automatically goes 40% less than the price. Quality gets compromised this way, there should be a monitoring system to check the estimated cost. Box Drug free society Mentioning recent figures of drug menace presented in Parliament by the parliamentary committee, Kataria said 66 lakh out of 3 crore people are getting affected by drug menace. At least 21 lakh people of Punjab are affected by opium and 7 lakh of these are children. Kataria called these figures an awakening, and the issue needs to be addressed. Kataria called for a drug-free society, sustainable living, and active citizen participation beyond government efforts.