‘I ensure no one goes to bed on empty stomach’

Sukhpal Singh Bhullar, Khemkaran

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DURING the 2017 Assembly elections, while at the counting centre, I heard from the media that I polled the maximum number of votes in my favour. That day, I pledged to dedicate my life to the service of residents all my life.

The lockdown has badly hit normal life, especially that of the weaker section. There are 42,000 families belonging to the weaker section in my constituency. Only 25% families were distributed wheat under the Atta-Dal scheme with biometric system, when suddenly the lockdown was announced. The 75% families were left out and they had nothing at their homes as the state government banned the distribution of wheat with biometric system to avoid coronavirus spread.

I raised the issue with Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and Bharat Bhushan Ashu, the minister concerned. Stock could be distributed with the manual system after verifying the beneficiaries from the records. He said in the initial days, cooked meal was distributed to needy families of the constituency in Khalra, Bhikhwind, Amarkot and Khemkaran’s four sectors.

I managed to bring back the combine harvesting machines, stuck in other states, to the area. Proper arrangements were made in the grain markets.

As migrant labourers have returned to their native states and there is a possibility of labour shortage for the coming paddy season, I am in touch with the CM and other authorities to allow paddy sowing from June 1, instead of June 15 in routine, on the land across the fence near the Indo-Pak border to resolve the problem.

(AS TOLD TO Gurbaxpuri)