For Puri, developing Dhar block a priority

Ravi Dhaliwal

Sujanpur, April 16

Despite being a first-timer, Congress MLA Naresh Puri has a lot of experience in politics as he has learnt the tricks of the trade from his father and former Cabinet minister Raghunath Sahai Puri, considered to be the tallest party leader of Pathankot district.

The area boasts of rich forests and the scenic Ranjit Sagar Dam. Nevertheless, Sujanpur remains the most backward of all 117 seats of Punjab. Puri knows that the underdeveloped sub-mountainous Dhar block is Sujanpur’s Achilles heel. If civic facilities can be improved and small-scale industries ushered in, chances are that Dhar, and with it Sujanpur, can hope to see overall development. Hence, Puri is concentrating his energy on pulling Dhar out of the rut. Once that is done, he will focus on Sujanpur and its adjoining areas.

HILL-CENTRIC PLAN NEEDED

The area has dispensaries, but no staff. Hence the need for a hospital… Later, the focus will be on building a bus stand in Sujanpur and a flyover on the Pathankot-Jammu track. The area needs a hill-centric development plan. —Naresh Puri, Sujanpur MLA

Puri along with the Health Department has already taken up the issue of establishing a 50-bed government hospital. “Pregnant women have to travel 30 km to Pathankot for delivery… Hence, the need for a proper hospital. For the political class, Dhar doesn’t exist.”

Once Puri is able to get the hospital project up and moving, he will concentrate on setting up a bus stand in Sujanpur. “Can you imagine that Sujanpur falls on the busy Pathankot-Jammu NH but is without a bus stand? Incredible India!” he says.

A majority of Dhar’s 60,000 inhabitants live like mountain dwellers and hence their issues, problems and needs are vastly different from people living in the plains. “The area needs a hill-centric development plan,” quips the MLA.

Puri says he is in touch with the railway officials to ensure a flyover is built on the Pathankot-Jammu track on the national highway. “The railway crossing on this track remains shut several times a day, leading to regular traffic jams. We surely need a flyover,” the MLA adds.