Bizmen to vote for nominees who promise to redress their issues

Shivani Bhakoo

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, February 19

Industrialists and the business community in the city is sore over the way their problems have been redressed by past councillors of the civic body. They feel that they were no longer with any party and will cast their votes in the upcoming MC elections on February 24 to respective candidates, who will address basic issues of the industry.

The president of the Federation of Punjab Small Industries Association (FOPSIA), Badish Jindal, said, “Previous councillors have totally ignored industrialists. Industrial areas are in bad shape. Daba Road, Shivpuri, Sunder Nagar, Industrial Area C and other places are in pathetic condition. There are no proper roads, street lights or regular lifting of garbage from these areas.”

“We have held several meetings amongst ourselves to decide whom to support. Most of the business community has decided to support candidates, who have business/trading/industrial backgrounds. They can be from any party,” he added.

“If candidates are from industrial backgrounds, they will understand our issues in better way and will address these accordingly.

We are not in favour of any particular party,” said Jindal.

Voicing similar views, the president of the Ludhiana Wool Manufacturing Association, Sanjiv (Sanju) Dhir, said, “We will support that candidate, who is easily accessible. The faces, which we see rarely, will not get any vote from our community. We want councillors to provide us surroundings with clean look, greenery, carpeted roads, functional street lights and where there is no fear of stray cattle or dogs.” 

Businessmen said, “Elections are held every five years. Elected councillors will rule for the next five years.” 

“We want to see real development in the city, especially in Focal Points and industrial areas, from where we earn our daily bread and butter. It becomes, too, difficult to bring buyers at our workplace for the simple reason that roads are in shambles and foreign customers get bumpy rides,” said Hitesh Gambhir, a garment manufacturer.