Cong’s Sidhu writes off opponents

Tribune News Service

Mohali, January 17

Sitting Mohali MLA and Congress candidate Balbir Singh Sidhu today showed his strength by organising a huge rally at Dasehra Ground in Phase VIII here today.

Nearly 5,000 supporters of Sidhu turned up at the venue to hear former Union Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal and Sidhu, who filed his nomination papers after paying obeisance at different religious places today.

“Mohali is our seat and nobody can beat us. This is evident with the large turnout at our rally,” said Sidhu.

Notably, Sidhu had won the seat with a margin of 17,000 votes in the 2012 Assembly elections. He was also elected the MLA during the 2007 elections from Kharar.

On the occasion, Bansal said Punjab lagged behind because of the misrule of the SAD-BJP combine. “Only the Congress can bring Punjab back on the path of development,” said Bansal while addressing the gathering.

Talking about development issues, Sidhu claimed that he would open a girls’ college in the town. He also assured of upgrading the local civil hospital.

“If the Congress voted to power, we would provide electricity at Rs 5 per per unit besides subsidised water and sewerage facility. The party will provide free houses or 5-marla plots with a financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh to persons belonging to the Scheduled Castes,” claimed Sidhu.

Sidhu, who promised of industrial development and providing one job each family under his programme “Ghar Ghar Rozgar” and farmers’ welfare scheme in his address, said there was no competition for him in Mohali.

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Issues that matter in Mohali constituency

As canvassing for the Assembly poll gathers momentum in Mohali, candidates of the SAD-BJP, Congress and AAP are busy wooing voters, spelling out their priorities. Drug abuse, perceived to be rampant among the youth in the rural areas, does not seem to interest two of the candidates. Our correspondent Kulwinder Sangha speaks to residents as well as candidates about their priorities

Candidatespeak

Will ensure proper water supply, better connectivity 

"Ending the problem of water supply is among my top priorities. Waste management has to be done scientifically. The water supply from Kajauli will be increased so that the problem does not arise again for at least 10 to 20 years. A need-based policy for buildings will be implemented. The public transport system will be improved. My focus will be on providing  affordable housing to the needy as well as employment generation." TPS Sidhu, SAD-BJP 

Revival of industry priority    

"Getting a need-based policy for buildings implemented is important to me. Families are expanding and, accordingly, residents want to extend their buildings. Sick industrial units will have to be revived. Workers living in EWS houses have still not become owners of the accommodation and efforts will be made to give them ownership rights. The Civil Hospital in Mohali will be upgraded to a general hospital. A college for women will also be opened. A gaushala will be opened to check the the menace of stray animals. Balongi will be included in the MC limit." Balbir Singh  Sidhu, Congress

Focus on drug abuse, industrial growth 

"Mohali will be made an industrial hub as it will generate employment. The youth are getting hooked to drugs because of unemployment. Giving jobs to the unemployed will help check the problem. The condition of the Civil Hospital is deplorable. It will be upgraded. More colleges will be opened. The needy will be given concrete houses. More international flights will be introduced." Narinder Singh Shergill, AAP

Residents’ expectations

Uniformity in property tax needed 

"Property tax is being levied on income from rent, which is unjustified. The industry is going through a bad phase and the levying of property tax on rent income has made matters worse. The Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA), Punjab Infotech and the PSIEC are linked to the industrial sector and all three agencies have different bylaws. There is a need for uniformity in this regard. Those running their units from a rented accommodation should be given priority in land allotment." Sanjeev Vashisht, President, Mohali industries association

Improve sanitation, check crime 

"The new MLA should remain accessible to the public. He should make efforts to bring about an improvement in the traffic situation. The state of sanitation also needs to be improved. The crime graph should be brought down as incidents of snatching are increasing by the day." Swaran Chaudhary,  a retired principal

Allow extension of buildings 

"The new MLA should get a need-based policy for buildings  implemented at the earliest. The newly elected representative should get provisions of the Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation Act implemented so that the owners are permitted to get each storey of their buildings registered in separate names. Collector rates and the registration fee of property should be slashed." Shailender Anand, former chairman, mohali property consultants’ association

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Eight candidates file papers from Mohali, Kharar

As many as eight candidates, including Congress leader Balbir Singh Sidhu and Aam Aadmi Party candidate Narinder Singh Shergill on Tuesday filed their nomination papers. A total of five candidates, including SAD-BJP combine candidate Ranjit Singh Gill, also filed his nomination papers at Kharar.

Balbir Singh Sidhu, accompanied by his wife Daljit Kaur, son Kanwarbir Singh Sidhu, was the first candidate who reached the office of Returning Officer-cum-SDM Anuprita Johal at the Mohali District Administrative Complex.  Sidhu’s son Kanwarbir Singh Sidhu also filed papers as a covering candidate. AAP candidate Shergill also reached the office along to file his papers. Bhajan Singh from AAP filed his papers as a covering candidate for Shergill.

The other candidates were Balwinder Singh (Democratic Swaraj Party); Gurnam Kaur (covering candidate for Balwinder Singh), Sarabjit Singh (BSP) and Shubham Sharma (Independent). SAD-BJP candidate Ranjit Singh was the most prominent candidate who turned up to file his papers at the ofice of Returning Officer-cum-SDM Amaninder Kaur Brar in Kharar.

The other candidates, who filed their nomination papers were Paramjit Kaur (covering candidate for Ranjit Gill), Surjit Singh (Jai Jawan Jai Kisan Party), Kuljeet Kaur (BSP) and Sanjeev Kumar (Independent).  — TNS

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Bunny extends support to NK Sharma

Dera Bassi: Former Banur MLA and son of the late SAD leader Capt Kanwaljit Singh, Jasjit Singh Bunny, today extended his support to SAD-BJP candidate from Dera Bassi NK Sharma. 

• Addressing a gathering at Ramlila Ground here, Bunny appealed to people to vote for the works done by his power and give a mandate to Sharma to complete the works left over by him.
• Bunny said, “I will support NK Sharma. The high command appointed me as a vice-president of the Shiromani Akali Dal, so it is my moral duty to support him”, he added.
• Bunny was elected as an MLA after the death of his father in a car crash on March 29, 2009. He had defeated Congress candidate Deepinder Singh Dhillon. — OC  

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Ranjit Singh Gill (SAD-BJP)

constituency: Kharar

profession: Builder 

total assets: Rs 24.93 cr 

covering candidate: Paramjit Kaur Gill, wife

assets: Rs 9.51 cr.

vehicle: A 1996 model Maruti car and a tractor. His wife also possessed a tractor.

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Balbir Singh Sidhu (Congress)

constituency: Mohali 

assets: Rs 16 cr.

immovable: Rs 13.23 cr 

movable: Rs 2.60 cr.

cases: Murder case under Sections 302, 307, 148, 149, 120 B of the IPC at the Balongi police station.

covering candidate: Karanbir Singh Sidhu, son 

assets: Rs 1.15 cr.

movable assets: Rs 1 cr.

immovable: Rs 15 lakh.

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Narinder Singh Shergill (AAP)

constituency: Mohali

total assets: Around Rs 15.50 cr 

immovable: Rs 15.31 cr

movable: Rs 42.16 lakh.