Ear to the ground: Bathinda Rural

Weight of wait for crop loss relief

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Sameer Singh

Farmers of the Bathinda Rural constituency (reserved) still await compensation for the massive cotton crop loss due to the pink bollworm attack in the last kharif season.

Avtar Singh, a resident of Teona village, says, “In the name of action, the district administration had just conducted a girdawari to assess the crop loss. That was it. Affected farmers have not received a single rupee in relief. The sitting legislator did not care to visit villages hit by the pink bollworm attack.”

Another problem ailing the segment is the poor condition of Losada drain, which has not been repaired for years. As a result, water overflows and fields get submerged during monsoon, damaging the crops.

Gurpreet Singh, a resident of Sangat village, points out that the Bathinda Rural constituency is no exception when it comes to the menace of drug abuse.

“The problem of drugs is rampant in villages. Addicts, who are often victims, are caught and not the suppliers. Members of the civil society have often urged the police to curb the drug menace, but in vain,” he adds.

On the health front, the segment fares no better. “The sub-divisional hospital lacks proper infrastructure. There are not enough doctors to cater to around 300 patients who visit the OPD every day. Two-thirds of the posts are vacant,” says Hartej Singh, a resident of Ghudda village.

Past trend

The Bathinda Rural constituency seat had always been won either by the SAD or the Congress till the 1997 elections. In 2002, CPI’s candidate Gurjant Singh contested successfully. In the last elections in 2017, AAP’s Rupinder Kaur Ruby had defeated SAD’s Amit Rattan Kotfatta.

Electorate Strength

Total voters: 1,55,964

Male: 82,791

Female: 73,172

Third gender: 1

How it voted in 2017

Won: Rupinder Kaur Ruby (AAP) 51,572 votes

Lost: Amit Rattan Kotfatta (SAD) 40,794 votes

LOCALS’ KEY DEMANDS

Relief for crop loss

Healthcare infrastructure

Curb drug menace

Repair Losada drain