Dispensary opening: Farmers protest ahead of Health Minister Balbir Sidhu’s visit

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, July 14

High drama prevailed at Dhannowali village in Jalandhar Cantonment today where Health Minister Balbir Sidhu was scheduled to reach this afternoon for the inauguration of a government dispensary.

Hours before the minister was to reach, members of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Rajewal) sat on a dharna announcing that they would not let the Congress leaders, including the minister or MLA Rajinder Beri, to inaugurate the building. The farmers were supporting the village youth who had been claiming that the Congress leaders had been trying to bag mileage unduly as the building had been readied more than five years ago and the party leaders had just got a fresh paint done on it to impart a new look and take the credit.

Village youth Sukhdeep Singh said the Urban Primary Health Centre in the village had been proposed way back in 2014. “We people kept running between the departments for all clearances and got it finally sanctioned for Rs 50.41 lakh. It was readied in 2.5 years. The Congress leaders have just renovated it a bit and are trying to give an impression as if they had got the project accomplished. We cannot let them take an undue credit,” he said.

As the dharna kept growing bigger and villagers began to gather, a heavy posse of police reached the site. DCPs Gurmeet Singh and Naresh Dogra and ADCP Harpreet Singh Benipal reached the site to control the situation. The villagers even put up banners at all the entry points banning the entry of all political leaders. An announcement was also made from the gurdwara that no politician would be allowed to enter the village. Seeing the situation, the cops stopped the minister midway from reaching the site. Even the MLA was told not to make it to the venue.

Finally, Congress councillor of the area Mandeep Jassal reached the venue along with a few supporters. He too faced opposition but the police managed to control both the sides. As the situation was getting normal, Jassal went to the foundation stone site and drew the curtains getting himself clicked for performing the inauguration. He announced that the minister and MLA could not make it owing to some work. But as soon as the agitating villagers got to know that Jassal had attempted to perform the inauguration, they lost their temper. The police force had to immediately get into action to protect Jassal and rescued him inside the dispensary premises. The farmers tried to force open the gates but the police had to use all might to control them.

Eventually, as the police tried to pacify them, the villagers and farmers too went to the foundation stone site and performed another inauguration, thus ending the entire ruckus.

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