First-time voters seek jobs, education

Sameer Singh
Tribune News Service
Bathinda, May 19

Expecting from the new government to work for creating job opportunities, providing affordable education and keeping the youth away from drugs, young voters cast their vote for the first time on Sunday.

Paras Mittal, a student of BPharmacy at the Giani Zail Singh Campus College of Engineering and Technology, said, “Despite towering claims made by successive governments in the state, the ground reality tells a different story altogether as unemployment and drugs are still prevalent in society. The Congress government had claimed that it would wipe out the menace of drugs, including ‘Chitta’, in the state, but it seems that efforts have failed to bear fruit at the grassroots level. Contrary to the claims of the government, there are hundreds of qualified youngsters who are jobless.”

Rubal (20), a BCA student at Khalsa College and a resident of Hazura Kapura Colony, said, “We want adequate job opportunities for youngsters. Despite being qualified, they have to face a lot of difficulties in getting jobs with handsome remuneration. Though I have cast my vote to a particular candidate, I want whosoever forms government at the Centre they should work for a drugs-free society.”

Simran, a MBA student at Baba Farid College, Doyal Bansal, and her sister Latika shared the similar views. They want better employment opportunities for youngsters to keep them away from drugs.

Both sisters said students faced a lot of difficulties in pursuing higher education as Bathinda did not have reputed academic institutions.

Nikita Sharma, a student of BA final year, said, “To curb corruption and bring more transparency in dealings with cash, the new government must focus on making the economy cashless. Besides, its focus should be on quality education, which is affordable, better health services in the public sector and affordable housing for middle and low-income groups in the country.”

Elderly want development at grassroots level

Elderly also exercised their franchise and have high hopes from the new government. They expect from the government to ensure development at the grassroots level with basic amenities such as proper roads, sewerage system, sanitation and drinking water facility.

Sohan Gupta (85) said, “Relations with foreign countries have improved and moral of the countrymen is high. Now, the government needs to ensure that all sections of society must be provided with basic amenities such as proper roads, sanitation and sewerage systems.”

Ratan Singh (79) said while successive governments made towering claims, a large section of people was still divested of basic amenities.