A four-storey building near Gurudwara, E Block, GK II was created through the efforts of Sh. Rakesh Gullaiya, ex-Municipal Councillor. A partition wall on the fourth floor of the multi-storey building was erected. One half was given to the Forum for Welfare of Senior Citizens, which now has been functioning for the last 28 years and other half to the break-away group named Godhuli Senior Citizen Recreation Centre born 7?2 years back. One lift goes to the Recreation Centre of the Senior Citizens’ Forum and two lifts go towards Godhuli’s Centre. Nobody consulted the Forum for Welfare of Senior Citizens about planning in the building, their requirements and allotment.
There was lack of planning in the sense that in the event of the lift on Forum’s side becoming inoperative, their members do not have independent passage to reach their Recreation Centre. Instead, they have to pass through Godhuli’s hall, thus throwing them at the mercy of the management of the other senior citizens’ body.
For security reasons, a BSF battalion was stationed at the Community Centre building with all paraphernalia in connection with G-20 security. The underground water tank was daily filled with water to cater to the needs of the huge BSF contingent. Due to a crack in the underground tank, the water seeped into the well of the lift, which goes to the Forum’s Recreation Centre. The result was that the lift stopped functioning, which paralyzed the functioning of the Forum.
The Forum Management ran from pillar to post for more than four weeks to get the lift repaired. They went to the Member Parliament’s Office, met the area MLA, the Municipal Councilor and Director, Community Services Department of MCD at Minto Road, and contacted the Executive Engineer, Junior Engineer (Works) JE (Electrical) of MCD several times. These measures did not yield any instant results. Efforts made by the Forum Management to seek access to their hall through the Godhuli premises until the resumption of the lift also proved to be futile.
The BSF battalion finally left the Community Centre on the 15th Sept. ’23. A ray of hope appeared with their departure. The lift was finally made functional on the 23rd September ’23 after having kept the senior citizen members of the Forum tied to their homes under despair for over one month. We hope the authorities will carve out a permanent solution, so that disruption in the activities of the Forum is not repeated.
