Families hold candlelight march, demand start of admissions to Group Home for persons with disabilities

Several parents expressed distress over the delays and alleged indifference of officials. Poonam Chaudhry, principal of Discover School in Mohali, said, “Aruna Rathore was a strong woman and single parent who had faced many hardships. Her sudden death is shocking. She was desperately waiting for the new admissions with reduced fees. Now no one knows what will happen to her son.”

Rita Sharma, another single parent, said she had applied for admission in March 2025 but her application was rejected after she refused to accept the high security deposit. “We have been waiting for new admissions since June. God knows when the UT Administration will act,” she said.

Shishpal, a research scholar at Panjab University, called it “a colossal waste of taxpayers’ money” to run the facility with 30 staff members and just three residents. Another protester, Baldev Singh, said the Administrator should initiate disciplinary action against officials responsible for the delay, or the High Court should intervene to ensure the rights of persons with disabilities are protected.

The Group Home has been at the centre of controversy for over a year, with families repeatedly protesting the administration’s “harsh” admission terms — including a ₹20-lakh deposit and no provision for legal redress — and demanding more affordable and transparent rules.

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