Phagwara loses connect

Ashok Kaura

Geographical location of a place can both be an advantage and a disadvantage. Phagwara exemplifies this dichotomy well.

This reserved Assembly constituency has robust bus and rail services, thanks to its location on the National Highway-1. But this is part of the story. Time spent in travelling 50 km to Kapurthala, the district headquarters, takes the sheen off the connectivity advantage. If the one-hour journey is not taxing for residents, the “slow pace” of administrative functioning surely leaves them harried.

Equally frustrating for residents is the non-fufillment of their demands. “After the civic body was upgraded to the Municipal Corporation around two years ago, the post of Additional Deputy Commissioner was sanctioned. But residents’ demands for district-level facilities in Phagwara are not getting fulfilled. Since 2012, residents have been highlighting the problems before Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal during his Sangat Darshan programmes,” says advocate Lalit Chopra.

Residents mostly visit Kapurthala for registration certificates of vehicles, transfer of vehicle’s ownership, issuance of international driver licences and no-objection certificates, among other works. For this, their entire day is consumed.

“The Chief Minister instructed the District Transport Officer, Kapurthala, to visit Phagwara at least twice a week to resolve the problems, but the officer never showed up,” claims Chopra.

Lawyers, too, are unhappy. They have been demanding a court of the Additional District and Session Judge in Phagwara, but nothing has happened.

Sanjeev Bugga, a Congress councillor, questions the purpose of forming the Municipal Corporation. “The objective of upgrading the civic body to the Municipal Corporation remains defeated, as the budget allocation remains too low at Rs36 crore. BJP MLA Som Parkash is distributing funds partially, neglecting wards represented by the Congress,” he alleges.

Philanthropist Malkiat Singh Ragbotra highlights another problem. “No arrangements have been made for the smooth flow of traffic. The majority of the buses plying through Phagwara do not come to the bus stand. Drivers of long-route buses prefer taking the bypass and avoid entering the town,” he says.

The construction of a flyover is pending because of a tussle between state BJP chief Vijay Sampla and Parkash. Sampla wants an elevated road, while Parkash wants a flyover. “The tug of war between the two leaders will cost the BJP dearly in the Assembly elections,” says Chander Mohan Sharma, state executive member of the Bharat Vikas Parishad.

The Congress, too, is ridden with factionalism. “The infighting between former minister Joginder Singh Mann and Congress nominee in 2012 Balbir Raja Sodhi is equally pronounced,” Sharma adds.

Least interested in political squabbling, residents want their demands fulfilled. They pin hope on the elections for a change.

Last election result

Winner
Som Prakash (BJP)
Votes polled 46,223
Runner-up
Balbir Raja Sodhi (Cong) 
Votes polled 31,644