Bumpy roads,polluted water worries for Mansa

For Mansa residents,the highway is not the only problem. Potholes plague the inner lanes of the town too. Sher Singh Gaggowal,sitting Mansa MLA from Congress says,“The ruling government has given the district a step-motherly treatment because I am from the Opposition. Despite my pressure,hardly any work is done in the district’s villages for the same reason.”

The villages in Mansa were seen to be in worse condition. Khara,Saharna,Pipplian and many other villages have no brick-paved lanes and open drains are a repugnant sight.

Same is the condition of Sardulgarh,another constituency in Mansa. The ride is full of jerks and a seat belt is needed to avoid backaches. Sitting Congress MLA Ajit Inder Singh Moffar said,“I can only shout in the Assembly. I have raised questions repeatedly for stopping many grants and funds in this constituency. The sarpanches in the villages are of the ruling party,so hinder any progress.”

Moffar was the sitting MLA during the previous Congress term as well,and yet he could not help bring a positive change to this constituency.

Budhlada – the third constituency has a foul-smelling main market and the sewer overflows even with mild rainfall. In the villages,the road network is hardly seen anywhere,though the work of laying sewer pipes is going on in a few parts.

Despite the revenue being generated from Barota Cotton Mandi,the unhygienic conditions are a big problem. “Polluted drinking water is a common nuisance here,” said Gurcharan Singh,a shopkeeper in this market. PPP candidate Ranjit Kaur Bhatti is campaigning in this area with this poll plank. Bhatti said,“I myself have got severe backache after travelling on the bumpy road and the SAD-BJP government claims of development in the state. This is the parliamentary area of MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal.”

Though good schools like Greenland,DAV can be seen in Barota,but post rains,buses are often stuck in muddy roads.

“We are used to looking at this filth for a long time now and have no idea when development will take place,” said Radheysham from Sherkhan village.

The sitting MLA of this constituency is Mangat Ram Bansal,a Congress leader. Residents stated that often they have elected MLAs from the Opposition.