CHANDIGARH: In the first of its find initiative, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has started an initiative to take its campaign to the people through a social media initiative in which the party president will interact with people of each and every constituency in the State virtually along with the party candidate.
The initiative was kick started yesterday with Mr Sukhbir Badal interacting with the people of Kharar along with party candidate Ranjit Singh Gill simultaneously at three different places in the constituency.
The interaction yesterday witnessed people indulging in a freewheeling discussion with Mr Sukhbir Badal on a number of issues including lack of healthcare and drinking water shortage in the Majri block as well as discrimination meted out to Naya Gaon the Kansal areas by the present Congress regime.
Mr Badal also expressed surprise that a constituency which was adjacent to the State capital had been neglected so much. People in Kharar disclosed that Capt Amarinder Singh had announced establishment of a bus stand at Kharar but it did not take off. They even highlighted how the present transport minister Raja Warring had made similar announcements days before the imposition of the model code of conduct.
The constituents of Kharar were apparently also distressed at the manner in which their legislator and AAP representative Kanwar Sandhu had abandoned the constituency. They said even though they had reposed faith in AAP, the party or its representative did not even care to raise its voice to resolve their grievances. They said SAD leader Ranjit Singh Gill had been consistently nurturing this constituency for the last five years and had come to their rescue during the Covid pandemic by establishing a 25 bed hospital. They said similarly when the area was hit by floods; Mr Gill had provided essential food items and other relief material to them.
In Majri block, people complained that they did not have access to potable drinking water and that they had to face the brunt of wild animals destroying their agricultural crops. Mr Sukhbir Badal assured them that besides providing drinking water projects in the area, the party would also introduce lift irrigation schemes to irrigate areas which did not have irrigation facilities.
In Kharar town people highlighted how the Ajj Maharaj temple had been neglected and urged that it be renovated and an appropriate memorial be constructed at the site. Mr Badal accepted the suggestion and said the site would be beautified in the same manner as other religious sites like Ram Teerath and the Durgiana Mandir.
Mr Badal also highlighted how in its next term the SAD-BSP alliance government would concentrate on the education and health sector. “We will go in for establishing mega schools in each block to ensure quality education is accessible to everyone. Simultaneously students from government schools will be provided 33 per cent reservation in all technical educational institutes and also Rs ten lakh student loans”. Mr Badal also disclosed how the next SAD-BSP alliance government would establish medical colleges in all districts. “We will have a 500 bed hospital in all districts while assuring people that they would also be given medical insurance to ensure quality health facilities were within their reach.