Bathinda, April 8
Aam Aadmi Party’s candidate for the Bathinda Lok Sabha seat, Jassi Jasraj Longia says widespread corruption, drugs and diseases need to be tackled in a phased manner. Claiming that the AAP has taken upon itself the task of jumping on to the political bandwagon to provide a corruption- free environment, Jassi speaks about a number of measures he is going to introduce if he gets an opportunity to become a Member of Parliament.

Bathinda Tribune speaks to Jassi to know about his plans for the residents of Bathinda.

What is in your mind for the youth and women of the city?

First, the children should be armed with the education at grassroot level. I did not become a singer or actor overnight but with constant hard work and basic notion engrossed in sub-conscious mind by the mentors. People should learn the art of growing up with knowledge. Children should be provided with basic education for which concentrated efforts should be made.

The youth should be empowered with energy by offering numerous playgrounds, extra-curricular activities and sports.

When people consider caste, creed and religion of a candidate to vote or get influenced with the advertisements, they fail to see the work, education or the background of person.

The Aam Aadmi Party has provided a platform for every third citizen to actively participate in politics and hence, eradicate political unemployment. Today, every person looks upon the party, which refuses to distribute drugs or money and also not allow others to do so.

Our main thrust is upon the youth who are the basis of a nation. Youngsters are the main motivational factor for our party and my candidature, who are turning up in large numbers, besides the other age- groups.

We have seen young people, men and women turning up with no dearth of confidence and craze to do something for the nation. They must be taught patriotism and only two days, January 26 and August 15 is not enough to love the country, but they should be taught to do the same whole year.

Do you think Bathinda should be developed as an IT hub, education hub, textile hub or health tourism hub?

When we have the capability for diversified development, then why should we stick to only one thing. The overall development is a dream for our party and investments in textile and industry could do wonders for the residents of Bathinda. Since education has grown with leaps and bounds in and around the city, it could be developed into an educational hub, where people still come from far off places to prepare for various competitive exams.

Building universities, colleges or schools is not enough as the manpower in the form of teachers and professors should also be equally equipped to achieve the target of teaching pupils in the best possible manner. When we are still bereft of basic road facilities where people die everyday due to road accidents, how can we think about ushering in the industrial revolution.

Apart from the health of the people, the rising road accidents due to narrow roads and high volume of traffic are the chief concern of a common man these days. I came to know that only yesterday, three people, including a woman and a father-son duo, lost their lives in two separate road accidents. On the one hand, our citizens, bereft of the basic traffic rules and ill managed traffic, are losing their lives every day, but the government is looking somewhere else.

Waterlogging, lack of sewerage and potable water are old topics but still a burning issue in the city.

The Municipal Corporation, despite tall claims, has failed to provide basic amenities to the residents of Bathinda. What do you say?

The focus of our party is crystal clear. When we do not stake claim to a 32-vehicle cavalcade like that of the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister or the Member of Parliament, there is no point in wasting money. Development comes with money and where does our money go? A portion of our hard-earned money is given to the government in the form of taxes. But what is its utilisation? People should file an RTI application to know where and how the money is utilised. Whether it goes into the pockets or for the luxuries of the leaders or is used for development or how much the money is being utilised on works? When our party stressed upon the need for simple living and high thinking, then where is the point of misutilising money. I have submitted an affidavit to my party wherein I promised never to seek unnecessary security, a red beacon vehicle, bungalow or anything else which puts extra burden on the exchequer. We are trying to set a trend which will surely eliminate corruption from all quarters. But it never happens overnight as we do not have a magic wand and it will take some time. We should get rid of our sealed lips and come out openly to shout against corrupt practices and this is exactly what we are doing and paying a heavy price for it in the form of negativity, suppression.

Any plans for the betterment of slums or its rehabilitation?

City slums are not a phenomenon of Bathinda but a problem which persists even in cities like Chandigarh. We need to look into the requirements of the people. With whatever funds in hand, one should reach the slums and rehabilitated them as per their sweet wish. One should not dislodge them with their only fault being that they are poor and illiterate. Efforts should be made to bring cleanliness in the slums, education and grass-root development by providing potable water and pollution-free environment.

The state government claims to construct small concrete houses for the slums near Dhobiana Basti but what happens next could be seen by everyone there. People are still living amidst unbearable stench, flies, mosquitoes and filth. Only yesterday, a section of the people came over and informed me that the dilapidated hospital building on which money to the tune of lakhs was spent, is hardly of any use to any of the people residing in the vicinity.

Bathinda, April 8
Polling booths in Punjab have been declared no smoking zone with no person being allowed to smoke in, outside or around 100-metre radius of polling booths on April 30, the day Punjab will cast votes for Lok Sabha elections.

Section 4 of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003 known as COTPA prohibits smoking on all public places.

Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Punjab has issued letters to the District Election Officers (DEO) asking them to ensure that all polling stations in respective districts maintain this order. The The DEOs have forwarded letters to the in-charges of various government schools as well as dharamshalas, where the polling booths have been set.

The Bathinda district has around 1,029 polling booths. All the officers concerned have been asked to ensure that path leading to polling booths carries signages mentioning that the area is a no smoking zone.

The COTPA deters open sale and consumption of tobacco and its products. Under the Act, all the educational institutes have been declared no smoking zones that can’t even have tobacco selling shops around it in a radius of 100 metres.

Under the COTPA, Bathinda has already been declared a smoke-free district wherein the COTPA guidelines on consuming, storing and selling tobacco and its products are being strictly followed.

District health authorities have hailed the CEO’s directions of declaring the polling booths as no smoking zones.

Bathinda, April 8
Past is fast catching up with Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, who is seeking a re-election to the Lok Sabha seat and is campaigning in the constituency. Members of the Unaided Staff (Aided Schools) Front Punjab, today pasted anti-government posters across the city asking the MP as many as 14 questions.

Arguing in favour of their protests, they challenged the Bathinda MP to offer a satisfactory answer to at least one of the questions and the union would stop campaigning against the SAD-BJP led government.

Attacking directly on the Nanhi Chhaan campaign launched by the MP, the union asked the MP if she had visited the family of Shruti, victim of the most infamous kidnapping case of Faridkot. They also asked the MP what kept her busy when a Youth Akali Dal leader shot a police personnel dead in broad daylight when the latter tried to save his daughter from being molested in Amritsar.

They accused Harsimrat of relying on Nanhi Chhaan campaign to prove that she was working towards the welfare of women but she was nowhere to be seen when a 14-month-old Rooth died of cold in Bathinda. They asked her what she or her government did for the 483 employees of the aided schools of the state and why her government failed to provide cycles to the female students of these schools under the Mai Bhago Scheme and scholarship and uniforms.

Taking a dig at her election campaign in the constituency, they asked on what basis she would ask for votes from the voters from the poor financial background after they were given rotten foodgrains under the Atta-Dal scheme.

They also decrided the state government for making people pay property tax on their own houses and making a dent in their budget while filling its own coffers. They asked the MP why she, the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal or Deputy Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal never took out time to meet the agitating teachers and listen to their demands.

Bathinda, April 8
SAD candidate from Bathinda seat Harsimrat Kaur Badal today lashed out at the Congress-PPP candidate Manpreet Badal, terming him a turncoat.

Claiming that credibility was everything in politics, the Bathinda MP said that earlier, Manpreet had sworn that he would never have any alliance with the Congress.

"I understand that he was under compulsion to re-invent himself after his political outfit People’s Party of Punjab (PPP). Harsimrat said she would continue to contest the Bathinda election on issue of development and agenda-driven politics. She added that it was unfortunate that Manpreet was taking refuge in empty statements by claiming he was for ending 'zulm ka raj' in the constituency.

“The feedback that I have received from the people was that Bathinda was facing "development da raj",” she claimed.

Bathinda, April 8
The AAm Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate from Bathinda Lok Sabha seat Jassi Jasraj today said that he was not an outsider to the constituency, the way people opposing him were portraying.

Addressing mediapersons today evening at the first leg of his impressive road show in the city, Jassi said he has been visiting city to promote his films and music albums in the past regularly.

“When was I not an outsider then? Why am I today being tagged an outsider? It’s just handful of people from the opposition who want to play it up as they lack other issues to talk about,” said the singer-actor-turned politician.

Jassi said he had applied for seat from the Anandpur Sahib Lok Sabha constituency, which was given to advocate Shergill.

Claiming to cleanse the rotting system of governance, Jassi said when the tragedy struck nearer to his home; he decided to be a part of the change.

In 2004, his father who was contractor of the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board (PWSSB) passed away after being harassed by a section of corrupt people.

“Even after my father had expired, some government officials from Ludhiana withdrew the security deposit of my father using forged signatures. I have letters procured under the Right To Information (RTI) Act to prove it. It was during this tumultuous phase of my life that I decided to stand against injustice,” he said.

Bathinda, April 8
Independent candidates as well as those from lesser-known political parties are trying their luck in the Lok Sabha elections. Besides the SAD-BJP and the Congress, the office of Returning Officer (RO), Bathinda, has so far received nominations form four independent candidates and three from lesser-known political outfits.

Apart from the SAD-BJP’s woman candidate Harsirmat Badal, the Bathinda seat has nomination of Geeta Rani from Akhil Bharatiya Shiv Sena party. A resident of the Railway Colony, Bathinda, she is a housewife and is middle passed. When she was rung up for comments seeking issues she will contest on, she chose to answer after half an hour as her mobile phone was not working.

The most interesting independent candidate to have filed his nomination is Manpreet Singh from Badal village, who is namesake of Congress candidate Manpreet Badal. The independent candidate, who was also the first one to file his papers, has shown moveable assets to be Rs 80,000 that includes 10 grams of gold in his name and Rs 1 lakh in name of his spouse. Besides, he has a house in the village worth Rs 5 lakh. A matriculate from Government High School, Badal village, he makes his living doing labour work and wants to raise issues of the labour class.

Interestingly, he has even applied to get election symbol of kite, which is predominantly symbol of the People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) whose founder Manpreet Badal will be contesting on Congress election symbol hand.

Gurcharan Singh from Budhlada area of Mansa is another independent candidate to have filed his papers. A matriculate pass tractor mechanic, Gurcharan Singh’s income was Rs 1.66 lakh last year. He was also not available for his comments. Besides, Kartar Singh, an under matriculate, from Dhobiana Basti, Bathinda, has also filed his nominations.

Gurdeep Singh from Nihal Singh Wala village, in the Kotkapura area, Faridkot, has filed his nomination from party named Indian Krantikari Lehar. An agriculturist, Gurdeep wants to work for the upliftment of poor. He does not have any political experience and it’s the first time he had filed papers for any political battle.

Besides him, Jagdish Rai Sharma has filed papers from political outfit named Nav Bharat Democratic party. With degrees of BEd and MA, Sharma is a resident of Faridkot and works with a private company.

Bathinda, April 8
A training programme for the Village Health Hygiene and Diet Committee was conducted at the Community Health Centre (CHC), Goniana, today.

Avtar Singh Dhillon, SMO, informed the participants about the working of the committee and the funds available at its disposal. He said the main objective of the committee was to ensure health and hygiene in the villages and to prevent the outbreak of diseases. Under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), each committee was given Rs 10,000 every year.

Dhillon said after the changes made in these committees last year, now the president of this committee is the village’s female sarpanch. The member secretary- cum- convener is the ASHA worker and the ANM is the member.

The bank account of the committee will be opened in the name of these three members of the committee only. Besides, there would be at least 12 villagers as the members of the committee.

Block Extension Educator, Lakhwinder Singh, said the main aim of committee was to take care of mothers and to apprise them about the facilities available for them and their newly born babies at the health and anganwari centres.

Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) will ensure that the meeting of this committee is held every month. The committee will check the facilities available under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and will submit its report after every three months to the office of the NRHM.

Sanjay Kumar, project coordinator, the Ambuja Cement Foundation (ACF), said the main aim of the training was to make the people aware of the facilities available and the need to propagate the same.

Bathinda, April 8
A first-aid training camp was organised at the Red Cross Bhawan by St. John’s Ambulance, an organisation of the Red Cross, Bathinda. During the camp, information regarding first-aid was shared with as many as 50 persons, inspiring them to get conductor licences made. As part of the seven-day first-aid training camp, trainer Naresh Pathania and lecturer Mann Singh told the gathering about the importance of first aid, and taking care of the injured, handling burns cases, poisonous bites, heat stroke and other cases.

The volunteers also gave a demonstration of human crutches, forehand seat, fire manage lift, fore and after carry, loading and unloading stretchers from ambulances and several other life saving techniques.

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