Focus on key pockets, not on all round development

Bathinda
Harsimrat Kaur Badal (SAD)

Questions asked: ---

MP lad funds utilised: Rs 3.53 crore

attendance: ---

Initiatives Taken 

• Revival of New Delhi-Bathinda Shatabdi express
• Rs 136 crore food park at Dabwala Kalan in Fazilka 
• Participated in parlance for Rs 5 lakh relief to 1984 riot victims
• Played important role in getting an AIIMS for the state
• Completion of ring road phase II connecting Bathinda-Malout road with Bathinda-Badal road 

Unkept Promises

• No flights started from Bathinda airport even after two years of its completion
• No steps taken to check pollution in the Ghaggar, which is posing serious health problems to residents of Sardulgarh
• Failed to get relief for farmers hit by crop loss
• Mann village, adopted by her, yet to get a vet hospital, health centre and a bank
• Grievances of old-age pensioners not resolved

Strengthening her mass base, Harsimrat is spending considerable time in her constituency, meeting people and listening to their grievances. Locals feel she is walking into the footsteps of her father-in-law Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. Harsimrat visited more than 24 villages and distributed grants worth Rs 5 crore recently

Performance in Parliament

Harsimrat hit the headlines recently when she took on Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, alleging: “Rahul is misleading people. He doesn't even know the exact place where this food park is to be setup in Amethi.”

Being a minister, she is not expected to raise questions against her own government. She gets a few questions to answer.

‘Focus on rural development’

}My priority is to get NREGA grants back to villages. I have sought a time schedule for repairing of irrigation channels (Kotla branch) in my constituency under a Rs 1,000 crore project. I am working on a plan for greater public participation in the Nanhi Chhan campaignRs

Opposition’s take

Manpreet Singh Badal, People’s Party of Punjab, says: “Despite being a minister, Harsimrat failed to press upon the Centre for getting financial package for Punjab. Farmers too have not been compensated for their crop loss. She remained mum over cut in centrally sponsored schemes in Punjab worth more than Rs 2,500 crore.”

Gurdaspur
Vinod Khanna (BJP)

Questions asked: 6

MP lad funds utilised: Rs 1.32 crore

Attendance: 97%

Initiatives Taken

• Work started for mobile connectivity in Bamial area near the Indo-Pak border
• Food processing unit sanction in Kalanaur on 1600 acres of Panchayat land
• Issue of low-hanging electricity wires on the Amritsar-Pathankot highway sorted
• Sought tax holiday for Industrial units in border belt
• Tourism projects surrounding Ranjit Sagar Dam lake

Unkept Promises

• Narrow gauge railway line through Pathankot not upgraded
• No sign of all round development as most projects started near Pathankot
• All other Assembly segments ignored
• The Qadian-Beas rail line not restored

The actor-turned-politician, Khanna joined the BJP in 1997. He was first elected from Gurdaspur constituency in the 1998 Lok Sabha elections. He became Union Minister for Culture and Tourism in July 2002. He also remained Union Minister of State of External Affairs.

‘What I promise, I deliver’

I am a politician with a difference. If I promise something to my voters, I will ensure that the residents get it. During my last three terms as an MP, I had promised to get bridges constructed over the Ravi, Ujh and Beas to improve road connectivity of Gurdaspur with other cities and I delivered on that front. I got constructed nearly six bridges. I have now promised to establish a sugar mill at Narot Jaimal Singh. It will come up soon.

Opposition’s take

Sucha Singh Chottepur, AAP state convener, says: “When nearly 20 Punjabi boys went missing in Iraq, Khanna did not bother to get in touch with the families. He comes once in a month in the constituency. He failed to take up the matter of re-introduction of freight equalisation policy which is implemented will provide big relief to Batala industrialists.”

Jalandhar
Chaudhary Santokh Singh (Cong)

Questions asked: 18

Attendance: 97%

MP lad funds utilised: Rs 1.75 crore

Initiatives taken

• Sanctioned funds for construction of girls’ toilets at government schools 
• Adopted Ganna village in Phillaur under the Centre’s village adoption programme
• Took up the matter of levy of 12.36 per cent service tax on remittances by NRIs with the Directorate General of Service Tax
• Demanded construction of railway over-bridges at Guru Nanakpura, Ram Nagar, Goraya-Rurka road and Phillaur-Numahal stretch
• Supported cantonment residents seeking abolition of octroi 

Unkept promises

• No steps taken to provide relief to the sports industry
• A cluster for hand tool industry still awaited
• Dry port project in Doaba region failed to take off
• Did nothing for revival of Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences 
• No improvement in civic amenities in the city

Representing Jalandhar where the SC population is as high as 33 per cent, the MP has been consistently raising the matter pertaining to “diversion” of funds for Dalits for other purposes by the state government. 

Performance in Parliament

The 18 questions Chaudhary Santokh Singh has asked pertain to poor lifting of wheat from mandis, manned and unmanned railway crossings in the country, cases of accidents pending with the railway tribunal and their status, old-age persons in the country who are below poverty line, rewards for medal winner sportspersons in Punjab and state-wise fund allocation for roads covered under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna.

‘Can’t do much being in Opposition’

Since we are in the Opposition both in the state and Centre, I can only raise issues concerning the masses. I have been pressing for the setting up of AIIMS at PIMS, but to no avail. Those at the helm of affairs are more responsible for not doing anything. They have failed to deliver.

Opposition’s take

Pawan Tinu, Akali CPS and MLA from Adampur who unsuccessfully contested against him, has commented, “The MP has failed to get any scheme or project specifically for Jalandhar. He has never made round to Delhi to press upon any needs of the residents. All what he has done so far is implementation of Centre schemes which are for every constituency. He has not gone around with people and taken note of their problems.”

Fatehgarh Sahib
Harinder Singh Khalsa (AAP)

Questions asked: 23

Attendance: 86%

MPlad funds utilised: Rs 1.23 crore

Initiatives taken

• Sanctioned Rs 1.23 crore for the repair of roads and drainage in rural areas Unkept promises 
• Failed to bring back industry that shifted out from Mandi Gobindgarh 
• Failed to decrease unemployment
• Couldn’t set up a technical training institute for youth

Harinder Singh Khalsa served as a Member of Parliament (MP) from Bathinda during 1996-98 as a member of the Shiromani Akali Dal. In 2014, he joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and was elected as an MP from Fatehgarh Sahib.

Performance in Parliament

Khalsa didn’t participate in any debate in the Parliament. Didn’t make any comment Khalsa failed to furnish information on the funds that he got sanctioned for the area. He refused to comment on his performance during the last year.

Opposition’s take

“The MP has failed to fulfil any of his promises that he made to the electorate. He also doesn’t get in touch with the masses and fails to address their grievances,” said Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, Congress leader.

Ferozepur 
Sher Singh Ghubaya (SAD)

Questions asked: 14

Attendance: 78%

MP lad funds utilised: Rs 3.75 crore

Initiatives taken

• Sanctioned money for RO plants and toilets in schools
• Spent Rs 1.40 crore on the purchase of water tankers for panchayats
• Was instrumental in getting Ferozepur-Chandigarh Express resumed
• Adopted Dhandi Qadim village in Jalalabad to bring about its development
• Raised the issue of poor rail and road connectivity in the region 

Unkept promises

• Failed to reopen the Hussainiwala Border for trade and transit
• Couldn’t reduce unemployment in this border region
• Failed to review outdated laws in the cantonment area
• Couldn’t compensate border farmers with land holdings across the fence
• Didn’t connect Ferozepur with Shatabadi Express

From being an accountant at a brick kiln to a two-time parliamentarian, Ferozepur MP Sher Singh Ghubaya today is one of the tallest “Rai Sikh” leaders in the state. Ghubaya was introduced to politics by his mentor-turned-foe Zora Singh Mann in 1997. 

Performance in Parliament

Ghubaya took up the issue of relief for flood-affected farmers in Parliament. He participated in 24 debates. During his last term, Ghubaya asked 51 questions and participated in 12 debates.

Will fulfil all promises

}Mine is a vast constituency with over 1,600 villages. I am committed to fulfil all the promises I have made to the people. But it takes time to finish projects. This year, my priority will be to provide better healthcare facilities in border villages. I will also try to improve access to potable water.Rs   

Opposition’s take

“Ghubaya has not been able to raise a single issue concerning the development of the region in Parliament. He has been more of an MP of Jalalabad as he has only been concentrating on his home turf.” --Congress leader, Sunil Jakhar 

Sangrur 
Bhagwant Mann (AAP)

Questions asked: 25

MP lad funds utilised: Rs 2.61 crore

Attendance: 79%

Initiatives taken

• Sanctioned Rs 56.30 lakh for government school buildings
• Gave Rs 46 lakh for setting up RO systems in government schools
• Four ambulances provided to government hospitals, five to NGOs
• Street lights installed at several places
• Gyms upgraded and sports equipment provided to clubs

Unkept promises

• Failed to check corruption in a big way 
• Despite taking on the ruling Badals over the drug menace in the run up to the Lok Sabha elections, he failed to take concrete steps in this regard 

Going through the works done for the welfare of common man by the MP and his performance in Parliament in the past one year, he can be considered as an MP of the masses. His office in Sangrur has so far received 630 applications and complaints, of which nearly 600 have been settled.

‘Satisfied with my performance’

My office remains open on all days. Anyone can walk in with his/her problem even on a holiday. The health and education sectors are my priorities. I have allocated a major part of MPLAD funds for these sectors.Rs

Opposition’s take 

Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, secretary general, SAD, says: “If I will say something about the performance of Bhagwant Mann it will be treated as a statement of a political opponent. So people of the constituency are the best judge to assess his performance.”