At perpetual loggerheads with her own Government, a doctor-turned-politician Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu on Wednesday claimed that she was being “completely ignored”, and the issues raised by her were being side-tracked.
The assertion comes soon after the BJP MlA observed fast for the release of development funds for her constituency. Already her namesake husband and the SAD-led coalition Government in the State are virtually not on talking terms.
For the purpose of lodging her protest, the Chief Parliamentary Secretary (Health) Dr Sidhu used the issue of noise pollution. In a written communique to Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal, she alleged the State departments of Transport and Police of “callous attitude” towards the issue of noise pollution.
Dr Sidhu maintained that despite raising the “very important issue” innumerable times and being a CPS and “chosen MlA”, she was not informed about the steps initiated in this regard.
Peeved, Dr Sidhu on Wednesday sought Speaker’s personal intervention alleging “total breach of protocol” by not providing her information about the steps initiated to check noise pollution.
“I am sorry to say that there are numerous more issues raised by me, so I request you to kindly intervene in this total breach of protocol wherein a MD Gynae, CPS, and a MlA is being completely ignored in having her bit of say in smooth functioning of the system,” read Dr Sidhu’s letter to the Speaker.
She said, “Very lengthy presentation were made by me to specify deadly effects of noise pollution on our health system ranging from mild to permanent deafness, effects on heart, blood pressure, mental stress, nervous system etc. Worst loss is for our students who are already under extreme pressure of studies and over stressed by hard competition. They have to bear load disturbing sounds of religious and private functions who flout all norms of Noise Pollution Act, 2010.”
Even a head constable has a right to stop loud noise emission disturbing surroundings after stipulated time and the decibels of noise allowed are less than 90 decibels which is noise not audible outside the premises of venue, she said.