'Upgrading health, education, getting pending works done my priorities'

Sanjiv Kumar Bakshi

Hoshiarpur, March 22

After winning back his seat as the sitting MLA of Chabbewal by a margin of 7,646 votes in the Chabbewal reserved constituency, second-time MLA Dr Raj Kumar, who’s the only Congress MLA in the district, has decided to give priority to improve the health and educational sectors in the constituency, get the ongoing construction work of about 50 roads and three stadiums in his constituency completed. Also, despite being in the opposition, he will try to provide civic amenities to the residents of this rural constituency on a par with the cities. He wishes to have a sub-tehsil established at Chabbewal so that people need not to go far away for their routine revenue department related works.

Dr Raj Kumar, 52

• Party: Congress
• Constituency: Chabbewal
• Votes polled: 47,375
• Vote margin: 7,646
• Vote percentage: 41.02
• Defeated: Harminder Singh Sandhu, AAP

Priorities

Dr Raj Kumar says he has been working for the uplift of his constituency for the last five years. Now, he will focus on improving health and education infrastructure in the area, besides getting 50 roads and three stadiums completed, which were promised by him during his last term as MLA.

Dr Raj said during his last tenure his emphasis was on improving the basic infrastructure in the constituency which have no town or municipality in it. Roads were in bad shape and efforts were made to get most of the roads rebuilt. “In the last months of my previous tenure, there were around 50 roads which were under construction and their work was suspended due to the imposition of the Model Code of Conduct. I will give topmost priority to get them completed at the earliest. These include three lifeline roads of the area, Attowal to Panchhta via Pandori Bibi and Bhungarni, Kharoudi to Pandori Gang Singh and the road running parallel to the canal from Kot Fatuhi to Mehtiana,” said Dr Raj.

He said four rural sports stadiums were promised by him, but only one in Patti village had been completed while the construction of three more in Kaharpur, Khanni and Kangar were underway.

“Improvement of education in the area is among topmost priorities and for it all-out efforts will be made. The building of the college is complete in Chabbewal and it will be my first ever initiative to get it functional in the coming session. Improvement of schools will be another priority area,” said Dr Raj, adding that he himself had been a student of government schools so he knows very well what would be the requirements.

Improving the health facilities in his constituency is also among his priorities. He said, “I would try to provide health facilities to the people of the area round the clock seven days a week. Providing more facilities to the rural dispensaries and ensuring availability of doctors and para medical staff required on a daily basis, besides all essential medicines will be my priority. For it, I will keep knocking the door of the Punjab Government besides making my personal efforts.”

He said he wanted loans of farmers, labourers and BPL families be waived completely and for this purpose he will be raising the voice in the House and at different platforms of the government.

Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.