‘Model village’ Mudhal exposes pre-election claims of politicians

Amritsar, May 30

During poll campaigns, political leaders make countless promises to transform lives and develop world-class infrastructure, but after the elections, they never turn back to have a look at the ground situation.

Mudhal village in the Verka block serves as a perfect example for the situation as the ‘model village’ has become a ‘model of unfulfilled poll promises’.

The village has seen various leaders, who promised to make it a model village. Despite the village getting a park, a fishery pool, a grain market, smart school and a health centre— the roads and sewer system remain in a poor condition. The village has been adopted by the Minister for Urban Development and Housing Affair Hardeep Singh Puri, sitting MP Gurjit Singh Aujla and Navjot Kaur Sidhu during the past eight years.

In 2016, the then East MLA Navjot Kaur Sidhu, had adopted the village under the Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana and claimed to develop it into a model village. She granted Rs 2 lakh to the village and installed solar lights.

In 2018, Lok Sabha MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla initiated a plantation drive at the village as it was adopted by him under the Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY). Aujla distributed 500 saplings among the villagers.

Despite getting grants for various development works, Mudhal witnessed waterlogging, open sewerage and pathetic streets. Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri visited the village in 2018 as part of the BJP’s national programme, which aimed to restore the faith of the Dalits in the government. It was the wish of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that MPs and ministers should spend at least two nights in a village that has 50 per cent Dalit population.

In March 2019, Puri inaugurated a road in the village, which lies in a poor condition and is dotted with potholes.

A major pothole in the main chowk of the village filled with sewer water has been exposing the model of development. The open drains dug in the centre of streets are also narrating the story of rural planning.

Balwinder Singh, a resident, said, “The villagers are residing in hellish conditions, due to poor roads and sewer system. Sewer water remains stagnated at the main chowk”.

Various initiatives, no maintenance

• In 2016, the then East MLA Navjot Kaur Sidhu, had adopted the village under the Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana and claimed to develop it into a model village. She granted Rs 2 lakh to the village and installed solar lights.
• In 2018, Lok Sabha MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla initiated a plantation drive at the village as it was adopted by him under the Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY). Aujla distributed 500 saplings among the villagers. In March 2019, Hardeep Singh Puri inaugurated a road in the village, which lies in a poor condition and is dotted with potholes.
• Despite the village getting a park, grain market, smart school and a health centre— the roads and sewer system remain in a poor condition.