Ludhiana west: Unplanned projects trouble residents

Manav Mander

Many development works are being carried in the areas falling under the constituency, but the problem is all these were started at almost same time, leading to traffic jams and congestion in most areas.

Past trend

MLA Bharat Bhushan Ashu registered two straight wins in the 2012 and 2017 polls. He remained a councillor for three terms between 1997 and 2012. In 2007 and 1997, the seat went to SAD’s Harish Rai Dhanda and Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal, respectively.

Locals’ key demands

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• Efficient traffic management
• Shifting of garbage dump
• Clean water supply
• Parking facility in markets

Electorate strength

Total voters 1,78,290

Male 92,333

Female 85,946

Third gender 11

Traffic on Ferozepur Road, Pakhowal Road, Sarbha Nagar and BRS Nagar is disrupted as projects were not planned properly and started in a phased manner.

Besides, people are finding some of the works carried under the Smart City Project a mere wastage of money. Residents of posh localities like Sarabha Nagar and BRS Nagar complain of fixing interlocking tiles and granite or cement blocks within a metre of the radius of existing trees. Revamp of Sarabha Nagar market is also seen as a waste of funds by residents.

Jagmeet Singh, a resident of BRS Nagar, said the government was fooling people in the name of development. “Some parks which were in already good condition were revamped unnecessarily,” he said. Similarly, tiles, which were already in good condition, were changed on Malhar Road.

Residents of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar often complain of water contamination in the locality. Construction of a railyway underbridge is blamed for the same. In addition to this, a large garbage dump near Sunet Railway Crossing is an eye sore for the area residents.

Old bazars like Ghumar Mandi are without parking facility. Ghumar Mandi is one of the busiest bazars in the city but it is without parking facility.