The Tribune Interview: All-round development of Bathinda, creating jobs my foremost priority

The Tribune Intergview: Parampal Kaur Sidhu, BJP candidate

The BJP has fielded former IAS officer Parampal Kaur Sidhu, who is also daughter-in-law of senior SAD leader and former minister Sikander Singh Maluka, from Bathinda Lok Sabha seat against former Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal. In an interview with Sukhmeet Bhasin, she says all-round development of the Bathinda Lok Sabha constituency along with health infrastructure and creation of job avenues will be her topmost priority.

What led you to resign from the IAS and join the BJP as your family and father-in-law Sikander Singh Maluka has been close to Badal family for a long time?

I was never in SAD, so after retirement I was planning to join politics for the welfare of the people of my area and joined the best party, the BJP. We can see in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana that the BJP after coming to power once has remained in power for long time and one can also see the development done in these states. So, Punjab can only progress under the BJP government.

Farmers are protesting against you during campaigning. How are you handling the protesters?

The Akali Dal is orchestrating protests, including those in the Bathinda constituency as within a few minutes the pictures of such protests are uploaded on SAD’s Facebook account. Moreover, I myself come from a farming family, so I know the problems of the farming community and I will become the voice of the agrarian community in the Parliament if elected. I am fully confident of getting full support from the farming community in the constituency.

You are contesting against former Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal. How challenging is this for you?

Harsimrat is not a big challenge. There is massive anti-incumbency factor against her. She has never been in touch with the public. Harsimrat won in 2019 because of the BJP support. She is wrongly taking credit of development projects in Bathinda, whereas it was because of the BJP government at the Centre that an AIIMS and a Central university came up here in Bathinda along with better road connectivity.

What are the issues at ground level in Bathinda Lok Sabha constituency which you have come across during campaigning?

The shifting of the solid waste plant located in residential areas is a major issue here. Apart from this, Mansa area has seen no development in the past. Major issue here is that people didn’t have direct contact with the MP in the past to tell them their issues. In the rural areas, selling of the drugs is a concern among all and many deaths have taken place due to drug overdose. But nothing has been done by any government in the past.

What is your agenda for Bathinda?

My agenda is overall development of Bathinda. I have been born and brought up here only at Bhisiana village in Bathinda, so I know the issues and problems here better. My priority will be to set up health infrastructure and creation of job avenues as unemployment is a major concern among youth and families here. Moreover, I will work for women welfare and get a rail coach factory and more industries set up here.

What response are you getting at the ground level?

I’m getting good response as people are fed up with all other parties as they have tried and tested them. SAD is finished, Congress is facing infighting and AAP has failed to deliver what it had promised, so people are annoyed.