Inauguration stone of this showroom exists, but not the showroom

Factfile: Officials of the office of the ADC (D) confirmed that it was the only government showroom in the district which was opened under the Swarnajayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojana (SGSY). The showroom did not work as it was expected that self-help groups would stitch clothes and around 12-15 Gram Sevikas were also appointed. Now, almost all of them have retired. An elderly person said the showroom would sell stitched items such as clothes, blankets, pillow covers etc

Aakanksha N Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, August 21

At the entrance to the Municipal Corporation (MC) office, Jalandhar, next to some shops, an inauguration stone catches the attention of all which tells that a Sawera showroom was inaugurated here in 2002 by Kamla Prasad, wife of K Siva Prasad, the then Deputy Commissioner of Jalandhar.

The stone has been installed at such a prominent place that it seems that some showroom might be functional near it. But, soon it is found that nobody even knows about its existence.

The curiosity to know about the “showroom” mentioned on the stone prompted this correspondent to ask officials and some old residents about it.

Many theories related to the showroom came out. Some said it was a leather goods showroom from where people would buy leather-related things. Others said the showroom belonged to the Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA), while many drew a blank and said that they were not even aware of the fact that a stone or a showroom ever existed here.

Even officials of the MC could not give any answer.

The stone reads: “Is sawera showroom da udghatan Kamla Prasad, patni, K Siva Prasad, Deputy Commissioner, Jalandhar, ne apne kar kamla naal kitta.”

Also Narinder Singh, the then additional chief executive officer, Zila Parishad, and SS Bains, Additional Deputy Commissioner, were present at the inauguration as the stone also carries their names.

At last, a ray of hope emerged as an elderly person sitting at Company Bagh of the Corporation said that the showroom would sell stitched items such as clothes, blankets, pillow covers etc.

“I have been coming here for the past 35 years, and I have seen the opening of the showroom and its closing too,” he said, adding that the showroom could not even survive for more than a month.

He said around 15 employees used to work at that time, but there was no work, as no one would come to buy the products. He said the scheme was started under the ADC (Development).

When contacted, officials of the office of the ADC (D) confirmed that it was the only government showroom in the district which was opened under the Swarnajayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojana (SGSY).

“The showroom did not work as it was expected that self-help groups would stitch clothes and around 12-15 Gram Sevikas were also appointed. Now almost all of them have retired,” the official added.

Also, the products that could be sold were disposed of in various melas and fairs.

Amidst all such information, the stone stands, ready to catch everyone’s attention.