Rice millers, youth feel let down
Praful Chander Nagpal
ThE then Jalalabad MLA and Deputy Chief Minister, Sukhbir Singh Badal, had promised to set up a rice hub in the town, which is dotted with as many as 30 rice mills.
Sukhbir, the SAD president now, had represented Jalalabad thrice before he got elected from the Ferozepur Lok Sabha constituency in the 2019 General Election. Ever since he vacated the Assembly seat, the project hasn’t got the due attention and is on the backburner. A large number of rice mill owners have been incurring huge financial losses due to fluctuation in prices of basmati in the international market.
The newly elected MLA, Raminder Singh Awla, announced a big private industry to create employment opportunities for the border belt’s youth. However, both the representatives failed to honour their promise. A large number of unemployed youth have allegedly indulged in drugs and illicit liquor trade. In some of the villages, distilling of illicit liquor popularly known as “lahan” has virtually acquired the status of cottage industry in the absence of jobs.
Besides, Sukhbir had gotten constructed 100-bed civil hospital in Jalalabad during his tenure, but neither he and nor his successor was able to arrange adequate number of doctors for it. Apart from it, the demand for a railway over-bridge over Mannewala road rail track remains unfulfilled.
Past trend
SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal was elected MLA from here in 2009, 2012 and 2017. He had to vacate the seat after getting elected to the Lok Sabha from Ferozepur in 2019. Congress’ Raminder Singh Awla won the bypoll by defeating SAD’s Raj Singh Dibbipura.
Electorate strength
Total voters 2,06,823
Male 1,07,896
Female 98,923
Third gender 4
