A bridge on Sutlej is all they want
Sanjeev Singh Bariana
Tribune News Service
Chamkaur, February 6
When will we get a bridge across the Sutlej, this is the question contestants in the Chamkaur Sahib constituency face every election. But all they get is a false hope.
Harjit Singh ferries hundreds from the Zindanpur-Taprian shore of the Sutlej in Doaba to Bela near Chamkaur Sahib every day. He said his passengers were largely workers of factories near Ropar, government servants and students.
Jaswinder Singh, a farmer travelling across the river to buy feed for his buffaloes, said residents of villages across the “dariya” (river), including Mallana, Hassanpur Kalan, Chahal, Zindanpur, Ghurkhewal, Gkurkha, Taprian Rashidpur and Gobindgarh Kulchian, had to ferry across to Chamkaur Sahib in a makeshift boat for their routine purchases.
The towns of Nawanshahr and Balachaur in Doaba are about 20-25 km away from these villages, making Chamkaur Sahib the nearest destination.
Gurpreet Singh, who goes across the Sutlej for his job as a driver with a landlord near Chamkaur Sahib, said “There are no jobs in our villages as there is no industry. Farming these days offers no lucrative returns. Many like me are coming across the Sutlej daily for to earn their living”.
Surinder Singh, another villager, said: “Every election, all parties give us false hope of building a bridge over the Sutlej. Now, people have lost faith in them. Ask anyone in the area and a bridge here is the biggest demand. We have spent our lives waiting for it. Let us see if the new regime can do it for us.”
