Budhlada: Rural segment ignored for long
Sukhmeet Bhasin
A largely nondescript reserved constituency in Mansa district, Budhlada comprises 85 villages and two towns (Budhlada and Bareta). This rural segment is plagued with multiple problems. Potholed roads, poor civic amenities, no industry and inadequate higher education facilities have been its bane for long.
Residents rue that no concrete steps have been taken to deal with the perennial problem of waterlogging. The area also doesn’t have its own fire brigade. During any major incident, fire officials called from Mansa or Bathinda, which are located far away from Budhlada. Similarly, health facilities, too, leave much to be desired as government hospitals don’t have specialist doctors.
Gurmeet Singh, a resident, says: “A short spell of rain is enough to flood the roads here. The waterlogging problem has remained unresolved for years. Moreover, there is a shortage of specialist doctors and medical staff in the government hospitals.” Villagers also complain that since Budhlada is located along the border with Haryana, it is the favourite route of liquor traffickers from the neighbouring state, where it is available at a low price as compared to Punjab.
In the 1930s, Budhlada was popular for its superfine sugar. A factory owned by Muslims was located near the railway station; consignments were sent to Lahore and Karachi. The Partition ended it all.
Locals’ key demands
- End to waterlogging
- Better civic and health services
- Fire brigade facility
- Curb on liquor smuggling
Past trend
The SAD has won maximum six times — 1969, 1977, 1980, 1985, 2002 and 2012 — from here. The Congress was victorious in 1967, 1972 and 2002 elections. In 2017 polls, AAP won the seat. Even CPI bagged the seat twice in 1992 and 1997.
Electorate strength
Total voters: 1,94,337
Male: 1,03,320
Female: 91,013
Third gender: 4
