Lohian Khas (Jalandhar), January 12
For the past many years, residents of Lohian, the only constituency in Jalandhar represented by an Akali MLA, had hardly seen any development. But with elections around the corner, the projects related to the construction of various roads in the area that remained pending for all these years now seem to have begun on a war footing.

Almost all stretches of roads leading from Nakodar to Malsian and further to Lohian have been re-laid, probably to ensure a smooth ride for the VVIPs to the area for canvassing during the elections.

The foundation stone for the construction of road from Sandhu Chatha to Addi Pind villages, forming an alternative short-cut route from Lohian to Jalandhar, which had been left pending for the past 10 years, was laid by MP Rana Gurjit Singh and Mr Brij Bhupinder Singh Lally, a former Congress minister and contender for the ticket, just three days before the code of conduct came into force.

When The Tribune team visited the area today, it was seen that the construction of eight-km stretch from Lohian Khas to Jakhupur which too had not be re-laid since 1996 had just begun. Labourers employed there were filling up the huge craters in the road with stones. No work seemed in sight in a small stretch of road from Kukran to Kamalpur villages.

Further filling up of road with stones is being done from Kamalpur village to Buggi wala mor. A four-km stretch till Fatehpur village and another 3.5-km stretch till Ismailpur village, near Dhusi Bundh, have just been readied.

Another two-km stretch from Makhi village to Nawan Pind is also being filled with stones.

Since commuters had been facing inconvenience for the past many years, they are happy now that the road laying has finally begun, may be just at the brink of elections.

As Mr Jagtar Singh, a farmer from Pipli village, pointed out: “Thanks to the Assembly elections, our leaders have finally woken up.”

The residents are also much fed up as there is no sewage system in Lohian Khas and adjoining villages. Open drainage passages run on either side of the road emanating foul smell. The sewer is finally discharged into ponds here and there.

Mr Fateh Singh, a resident of Lohian Khas, said water supply was also badly affected. He said water tank projects had been started two years back on Sadhupur and few adjoining villages but had remained incomplete. He said the worst affected were the residents in Kang Sardar Wala and Nawan Pind Akhade villages, near Mand, who were getting dirty water in handpumps and were forced to get deep bores at their homes to extract clean water.

Mr Ajit Singh Kohar, sitting Akali MLA, has already started canvassing. Five Congressmen have been vying for the ticket from here. These include Mr Brij Bhupinder Singh Lally, a former minister; Col C.D. Kambhoj, in whose name all grants were being received in the area; Rana Hardeep Singh, MP Rana Gurjit Singh’s nephew; Mr Balkar Singh, Zila Parishad member; and Mr Hardev Singh Laadi, a nephew of former Speaker Darbara Singh.

Jalandhar, January 12
To protest against failure of the state government in taking action against two police officials who had ordered ‘lathicharge’ on workers at Kartarpur, the Pendu Mazdoor Union has decided to burn effigies of the officials at all district headquarters on January 23.

Meanwhile, the dharna of the union in Jalandhar entered fifth day today. Farm labourers from Jalandhar and Kapurthala districts participated in it.

Mr Tarsem Peter, president of the union, said the failure of the government to act against Mr Pritam Singh, SP, and Mr Balkar Singh, SHO, had showed the callousness of the authorities towards the common man.