Ahead of Lok Sabha polls, Harsimrat visits villages

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, February 16

Union Minister for Food Processing Harsimrat Kaur Badal, who is local MLA, visited various villages in the Bathinda (Rural) Assembly constituency on Saturday. She doled out grants from her MPLAD fund in the district.

The Union minister on Saturday also held public meetings at Balluana, Mia, Raike Kalan Khurd, Karamgarh Satara, Bahadurgarh Jandia, Behman Diwana and Phulomithi villages in the district.

She gave a cheque for Rs20 lakh to Balluana, Rs14 lakh to Behman Diwana, Rs7.50 lakh to Karamgarh Satra, Rs7 lakh to Raike Khurd and Rs7 lakh to Bahadargarh Jandia village. In these villages, panchayat members associated with the SAD were elected in the recently held rural elections.

She also distributed grants for construction of sheds, a dharamshala, a cremation ground, buildings and other development works.

While addressing a public gathering, she said, “The SAD-BJP alliance only works for the public. The Congress is misleading people and came to power after making fake promises.”

She said people of the area had elected her twice and working for them was her responsibility. The MP said the face of Bathinda had changed during her tenure.

Harsimrat Badal has started touring villages and distributing grants, giving wings to speculations that she may contest from Bathinda for the third time, though the SAD has not announced any candidate from the Bathinda seat.

Harsimrat Badal had inaugurated an adarsh railway station in Mansa on Friday. Last month, she had given a grant of Rs85 lakh to 13 SAD panchayats in the district. She gave Rs7.30 lakh to Mehma Sarkari, Rs6 lakh to Harraipur, Rs5.50 lakh to Balhar Vinju, Rs3.40 lakh to Lakhi Jungle, Rs8 lakh to Nathena, Rs7.50 lakh to Kothe Natha Singh, Rs5.50 lakh to Kothe Inder Singh and Rs12 lakh to Kothe Sandhu village.