Talwar’s dream — A girls’ college in his constituency

Minna Zutshi

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, March 22

Ludhiana East MLA Sanjeev (Sanjay) Talwar is not averse to drawing from his experience as a councillor. While campaigning during the Assembly elections, this Congress leader came to know about the major issues of the constituency.

Talwar said it has been a long-pending demand of the people of this constituency that a girls’ college be set up in the area. “I’m already working on it. The availability of land in the area from Jalandhar Bypass to Moti Nagar should not be a problem. This project will be a top priority for me,” he said. He would also focus on development of the area from Tajpur Road to Sector 39, he added.

Other projects on his agenda would include health club and community centre in Sector 32. “By 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the constituency will see many development projects on way to completion.”

Acknowledging that quality health services are of pivotal importance, Talwar said a government hospital in Ludhiana East is functioning without doctors. “I’m told that the doctors are not joining here because of some salary problem. I’d be taking up the issue with the Health Minister.”

The MLA said providing basic amenities to the people would be his main concern. “In our constituency, alcoholism is widespread. It has to be contained.”

He said he had conveyed to the SHOs and chowki incharges that if any person claiming to be a party worker tried to ask for special favours or sought concessions, they should refuse outrightly. Talwar said no one will be allowed to collect ‘hafta’ (money) from the people. “Once political patronage to criminals and anti-social elements is withdrawn, many problems will automatically be solved. The other day, I learnt that some unscrupulous elements, under political patronage, were collecting ‘hafta’ from poor vendors on the pretext of providing them power supply. An old woman, while recounting her tale of woe, told me that she had to part with a sizeable chunk of her earnings to give hafta.” The MLA said he had already put a stop to this illegal practice.

Talwar said addressing all the issues may take time, but he is committed to tackling them with a focused approach.