Month after railgate, Bansal attends first public function

Local MP Pawan Kumar Banal here on Sunday attended his first public function after the railgate scam had forced him to resign as the railway minister on May 10. The Chandigarh member of Parliament (MP), who has kept a low-profile since his resignation, distributed 'hygiene kits' to 55 girls at the large, airy auditorium of DAV College here.

Local MP Pawan Kumar Banal here on Sunday attended his first public function after the railgate scam had forced him to resign as the railway minister on May 10.

The Chandigarh member of Parliament (MP), who has kept a low-profile since his resignation, distributed 'hygiene kits' to 55 girls at the large, airy auditorium of DAV College here.
The programme, 'Girl Star Project', was organised by city-based non-government organisation (NGO) Yuvsatta.

Addressing the gathering from the wooden-floored stage of DAV College auditorium, Bansal seemed to have walked away from the hullaballoo over the May 3 arrest of his nephew Vijay Singla, who was caught while allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 90 lakh from a senior railway official who wanted a lucrative posting.

Appreciating the initiative, Bansal said Chandigarh residents were socially active. He spoke on the city's high literacy rate. “Our literacy rate is quite high. Strikingly, more than 80% teachers in our school system are women,” he said. “This can help us play a pivotal role in making our girls and women feel safe and cared for in the city. We all must work to safeguard the dignity of women. Men and women should be equal partners in all fields.”