Archit Watts
Despite giving two Chief Ministers to the state — Harcharan Singh Brar (Congress) and Parkash Singh Badal (SAD) ndash; the district headquarter town is still without basic amenities. Though both the Congress and SAD claim to have developed this town, residents are peeved at the sewage flowing on streets and contaminating the drinking water supply.
Past trend
In the 2017 Assembly polls, SAD’s Kanwarjit Singh Rozy Barkandi got elected from here. Congress’ Karan Kaur Brar won in 2012 and Kanwarjit Singh Sonny Brar in 2007. Sukhdarshan Singh Marar, an Independent, won in the 2002 elections.
Electorate strength
- Total voters – 1,84,459
- Male – 97,071
- Female – 87,386
- Third gender – 2
Locals’ key demands
- Railway over-bridge completion
- Relief from traffic snarl-ups
- Garbage collection system
- Clean drinking water in villages
“Nothing much has changed here. When someone comes after even a decade, he says the town still looks almost the same. Some new showrooms and eating joints have opened, but the rest remains the same. Streets have been constructed during the previous SAD-BJP regime and the present Congress government, but quality remains an issue. During rains, the town converts into a lake,” say locals.
The district administration close to Maghi Mela (January 14) every year spends a huge amount of money to give a fresh look to the town, yet these works don’t last long.
Despite giving 2 CMs, problems galore
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