Now, CM, deputy CM’s photos on RO water cards

MUKTSAR: The controversy over Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s photo on “108” ambulance vehicles is yet to die down, but now the photos of Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and chairman of District Planning Committee Hardeep Singh ‘Dimpy Dhillon’ have come up on the cards required to get purified water from the reverse osmosis (RO) plants in Gidderbaha sub-division of Muktsar district.

The new card issued to a consumer to get purified water from RO plants. Tribune photo

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, June 12

The controversy over Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s photo on “108” ambulance vehicles is yet to die down, but now the photos of Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and chairman of District Planning Committee Hardeep Singh ‘Dimpy Dhillon’ have come up on the cards required to get purified water from the reverse osmosis (RO) plants in Gidderbaha sub-division of Muktsar district.

Dimpy is SAD’s Gidderbaha constituency in charge as well. Further, the slogan of the SAD-BJP government “raaj nahi sewa” (service, not rule) is inscribed on the cards.

Ranjit Singh, a farmer from Gurusar village in Gidderbaha sub-division, said, “I had gone to the RO plant today to get water and the operator handed over a new card having photos of CM, Deputy CM and chairman of District Planning Committee. I don’t have any problem with the photos of these politicians printed on the cards. But are they providing us purified water free of cost? If not, then why are they trying to get political mileage from it?”

He said that the water charges had been slashed from Rs 90 to Rs 80 per month for 20 litres per day.

In the fresh cards being distributed to customers, the name of the company running the RO plant, monthly charges, capacity of water, card number have gone missing.

Earlier, the CM’s photo has appeared on ration cards, bicycles distributed under Mai Bhago scheme, sports kit bags, PSEB class VIII textbook and Bhagat Puran Singh health insurance scheme cards.

Besides, the photos of CM and Deputy CM have also been displayed on RO water plant units across the state.

Parmod Chand, Executive Engineer, Water Supply and Sanitation, said, “I am unable to comment whether the photos can be displayed on the cards or not.” Surprisingly, he was even unaware about the RO water tariff for a month.