Balachaur: Will eradicate drug problem, says AAP MLA Santosh Kumari Katariaa
Avneet Kaur
Nawanshahr, March 15
“Eradicating drug problem is my top priority. During my door-to-door campaign, a number of women, especially from villages, had shared their concerns regarding the growing drug problem in the area. They informed me that their young sons in the 18-25 age group are trapped in the web of drug addiction. Therefore, I will be taking up the drug issue promptly as promised to them and concrete steps would be initiated for the rehabilitation of addicts,” said Santosh Kumari Katariaa, who won the Balachaur seat by a margin of 4,831 votes.
Santosh Kumari Katariaa
- Party: AAP
- Constituency: Balachaur
- Votes polled: 39,633
- Vote margin: 4,541
- Vote percentage: 34.47
- Defeated: Akali Dal candidate Sunita Rani
Priorities
Newly elected MLA Santosh Katariaa said eradicating drugs, creating job opportunities for the youth, providing better civic amenities to the people, reviving industries in the region and making Kandi canal operational are among the main issues on her priority list. Moreover, the voters have also raised the issue of declining groundwater in the Kandi area and farmers facing water scarcity, so I will meet the authorities concerned and Punjab CM to take up the issue.
She defeated SAD candidate Sunita Rani who received 34,802 votes.
Stating that the Congress has lost its ground and even failed to fulfil the poll promises of the 2017 Assembly election, she joined the AAP two years ago. Santosh said she was familiar with all issues in Balachaur as she came from a political family. She said her father-in-law Ram Krishan Kataria was an MLA from the place, while her father has remained the sarpanch for over two decades.
She further said it was a proud moment for her as she was the first women candidate to win from the seat. She said this seat had always been won by either SAD or the Congress but this time by giving a chance to a new party and a woman candidate, the voters had paved the way for much-needed political change.
“With the change of guard in Punjab, the people now have so many expectations from the new government. I have assured people of my constituency that all the pre-poll promises made by the AAP government will be fulfilled. Besides, I will make sure the people of Balachaur are not left behind and they receive benefits of all government schemes,” she said.
Santosh further said apart from eradicating drugs, the other issues in her priority list included creating job opportunities for the youth, providing better civic amenities to the people of my constituency, reviving industries in the region and making Kandi canal operational.
“Moreover, the voters have also raised the issue of declining groundwater in the Kandi area and farmers facing water scarcity, so I will meet the authorities concerned and Punjab CM to take up the issue,” said Santosh, adding that the menace of wild animals was another major problem for which she would suggest the government to take measures and put bio-fencing in and around the fields to save the crops.
