1. MONDAY 7 JULY 2014
02 METRO FARE
Continued from Page 1
Hanumakka, a farmhand from
Neerupalle near Gadwal, has come
for treatment of abdominal cancer.
She and her husband live on the pave-
ment. She hopes to recover and sup-
port her husband on their farmland.
She is aware that the hospital will
bill her at least one lakh rupees under
the Aarogyasri scheme. “The house
rents are too high in nearby localities.
The owners charge Rs 300 a day for
a room. We can’t afford to spend that
much amount.”
The halls built for accommodation
of the poor are not well received by
the patients and their attendants.
They prefer to sleep on the footpath
rather than staying there. Another at-
traction is that good Samaritans dis-
tribute food among the patients
almost every day.
The patients vouch for the treat-
ment provided by the doctors. Noor-
jahan from Kadapa is happy with the
treatment and care provided by the
staff. She was admitted for three days
and was asked to come back after two
days.
“We can’t afford to go back to
Kadapa and return after two days,’’
remarked Noorjahan’s attendant Sha-
reef. The Shareef family joined oth-
ers by living on the pavement.
Another patient, Masuda Begum
from Mallepalle in Nalgonda district,
visited the hospital along with her rel-
atives. Her relatives were aghast
when the doctor suggested an ENT
test at the hospital which would cost
Rs 15,000. Her relatives wondered
why the hospital charged extra
money under the Aarogyasri scheme.
Some patients have good news to
cheer about. Chandra from Puliven-
dula in Kadapa district spends time
with other patients and attendants on
the pavement. His wife Nagamma
underwent treatment for breast can-
cer for the last 10 months.
“My wife went for detection of
cancer at an early stage and so she
was lucky to have been cured,” Chan-
dra proudly said.
The halls built for accommodation of the poor are not well received by the patients and
their attendants
Most of the patients cannot afford to go back and return,
hence use footpaths
OUR BUREAU
I
t’s 6 pm and this popular wine
shop near Kapra municipality is
teeming with customers who
waste no time once they buy their bot-
tle. Ready with a water sachet and a
packet of peanuts, they mix their
drink and gulp it down one peg after
the other. Soon, they are high and
that’s when the real trouble starts for
passers-by.
These men pass lewd remarks
against women, pick up arguments or
even fight with others while the liquor
shop owner remains busy selling
liquor ignoring the fact that consump-
tion of liquor outside the shop is
against the norms.
Jaishankar, who lives in Panjagutta,
says, “It is a big problem for us since
our building is on the corner of the
road and has entry points from the
main road and the side lane. Those
who go to the shop park their vehicles
in a line right outside our gate. So we
cannot take our cars out in case of an
emergency. When I had to rush my
mother-in-law who suffered a stroke
to the hospital recently, there were
four bikes blocking my way. I had to
call the traffic control board and man-
ually drag the bikes out of the way
with help of a few people."
A bar on Himayatnagar main road
is the reason for traffic jams through-
out the day and the MLA quarters is
just a stone’s throw away from there.
There are several constables guarding
the quarters and it is a busy road
throughout the day. But the traffic and
law and order police turn a blind eye
to the jam because of this shop.
According to sources, areas like
Khushaiguda, Punjagutta, Krishna
Nagar, Asifnagar junction,
Khairtabad and certain areas in Se-
cunderabad are prey to this street side
binge phenomenon. Himayatnagar
and Chikadpally are also trouble spots
with these bars and shops.
Police stations of these localities
are flooded with complaints on phone
about the menace. Police officials say
that on an average, they receive 200 to
250 calls in a week.
“As we have received several com-
plaints from the public, police teams
are conducting special drives and are
registering cases against people who
consume liquor at public places. We
are aware that several anti-socials
drink in the open. A lack of co-ordi-
nation between excise and police de-
partments is leading to an increase in
the menace,” said Satyanarayana
Reddy, DCP, West Zone.
Excise officials say that the local
police are responsible for maintaining
law and order. Their department can
only extend co-operation.
Recently Police Commissioner Ma-
hender Reddy said that they would
take stringent action against people
who get drunk and create nuisance in
public places. The police would look
into the issue if the shop was being
kept open after 10 pm and also take
efforts to prevent drunkards from as-
sembling outside.
"It is an ongoing process and we
are taking it seriously. However, af-
fected residents can meet me in per-
son and I will take the action
required," he said.
Reddy wants residents to be active
and make complaints every time,
while his men are hand in glove with
liquor shops.
Roadside wine shops become
dangerously nuisance
Tipsters drink outside the wine shops and make nuisance to the residents and passers-by. Cops say spe-
cial drives are being conducted and cases are being registered against people who consume liquor at
public places. But the menace continues. Police Commissioner Mahender Reddy wants the residents to
complain to the police every time, but the truth is that the cops are hand in glove with the wine shops
Drinking in public areas is still prevalent at many bars
in the city (file photo)
The tipsters pass lewd remarks against
women, pick up arguments or even fight
with others while the liquor shop owner
remains busy selling liquor ignoring the fact
that consumption of liquor outside the shop
is against the norms
The Cancer Ward