Councillor, MLA hear out residents

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 17

The elections of the new Municipal Corporation were held on this today a year ago and most of the MC wards of the 80 had got new councillors as city residents had given a chance to the Congress to lead the House.

Through the whole year, Congress councillor Jagdish Samrai from Ward No. 78 kept raising issues related to the corporation and its wards. For the first time, he, along with MLA Sushil Rinku, police and MC officials, held a direct meeting with ward residents during which the former listened to their grievances and problems.

Samrai is also working as a lab attendant with a private school for the past many years.

He said the residents were listened to individually.

“We asked them about the works that have not got completed and since the officials concerned were present there too, answers were given by him on the spot,” he said.

Around 250 residents had come to raise their issues. Many complained about bad roads, lack of street lights and no pensions, to which the officials answered on the spot.

Samrai had to sit on a dharna against the Municipal Corporation, Jalandhar, and that too, for a genuine demand of providing safai karamcharis to his ward, only a few days after he attained power. Besides, he took a broom in his hands and started cleaning roads himself.

“The ward is just like a village, there is nothing like any provision for providing city’s basic amenities to its residents. Ward zarur bana ditta hai, par facility koi nahi (The ward has been created but there are no facilities),” the councillor had said.

There are no proper roads in 80 per cent of the ward areas. Also, there is no requisite number of sanitation workers. Many roads have not been re-carpeted for years.

In a unique manner, demands of residents were written on kites and these will be flown when their demands will be met.