By Parshant Chohan ;

July 26, 2025 Patiala

Deputy Commissioner Dr Preeti Yadav personally inspects key urban intersections in Patiala as part of a decisive campaign against child begging—exemplifying compassionate governance through direct civic engagement.

Further, stringent instructions were relayed to local traffic and PCR units mandating swift intervention wherever minors are found soliciting alms or are suspected to be victims of coercion. Citizens were exhorted to notify authorities through the Child Helpline (1098) or the designated district officials. The DC affirmed that any individual or group found compelling children into such acts would face the full force of the law. Plans are also afoot for conducting DNA tests of unidentified minors involved in suspected trafficking cases, reflecting the administration's vigilance against clandestine criminal networks.

In the latter part of the day, Dr Yadav undertook a surprise inspection of Mata Shri Kali Devi Mandir to appraise ongoing developmental projects and ensure the well-being and safety of devotees amidst the works. Cognisant of complaints regarding sanitation and petty theft within temple grounds, she instructed both internal security personnel and external police units to intensify surveillance, especially focusing on the safety of women and children. She also reviewed the CCTV coverage expansion plans to further strengthen surveillance infrastructure.

Of particular note was her scrutiny of the pipeline project intended to replenish the sacred temple sarovar with fresh water—currently underway by the Drainage Department—with completion mandated within one month. She also confirmed the successful tendering of a new sewerage line for the temple, with execution to commence imminently.

Dr Yadav reassured that all ongoing works are being carried out with utmost sensitivity to devotee convenience. Once preliminary infrastructural work is concluded, broader aesthetic and developmental upgrades to the temple precincts will follow. The DC’s hands-on approach was accompanied by ADCs Isha Singhal and Navreet Kaur Sekhon, SDM Major (Retd.) Harjot Kaur, and senior engineers and child welfare officials.

These two visits—one deeply humanitarian, the other steeped in cultural preservation—exemplify the district administration’s commitment to a governance ethos that is both compassionate and uncompromising in its pursuit of justice, development, and dignity for all.

In an exemplary demonstration of proactive governance and civic commitment, Deputy Commissioner Dr Preeti Yadav today undertook two pivotal field interventions—spearheading a rigorous crackdown against the scourge of child begging while simultaneously conducting an on-site review of infrastructural and safety augmentations at the revered Mata Shri Kali Devi Temple. 

DC Dr Preeti Yadav conducts an unannounced review of safety, sanitation, and infrastructure at Mata Shri Kali Devi Mandir, ensuring that devotional sanctity and public convenience remain uncompromised amidst ongoing development works.

In the first leg of her engagement, Dr Yadav descended personally onto the streets of Patiala, inspecting prominent junctions and sacred precincts such as Gurdwara Shri Dukh Nivaran Sahib and Mata Shri Kali Devi Mandir. The initiative, undertaken under the aegis of the Government of Punjab’s anti-begging drive and aligned with the Project Jeevanjyot 2.0, reflected the administration’s renewed resolve to eradicate child exploitation from public spaces.

During her inspection at Lehal Chowk, Dr Yadav encountered a specially-abled father accompanied by two minors. Despite his wife’s demise, the man maintained that he did not coerce his children into begging. Demonstrating a humane yet firm administrative approach, the DC directed immediate arrangements for his resettlement and livelihood assistance through the appropriate departments. In another instance, two children vending flutes outside the Kali Devi Mandir were identified, following which Dr Yadav issued explicit directives for their academic reintegration and skill development, underscoring the administration’s rehabilitative intent.