Banners against Ward 91 councillor raise eyebrows

Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, August 16

Banners highlighting “poor performance” of the Ward 91 councillor at Chandar Nagar have raised many an eyebrow. However, these banners feature the photo of the councillor’s husband Baljinder Singh Sandhu along with the pictures of contaminated water, overflowing sewers, broken roads and waterlogged streets.

It has been mentioned on the banners that these have been put up by the Chander Nagar Welfare Society and they don’t need the councillor as no promise has been fulfilled.

Banwari Lal of the welfare society claimed that the posters had been displayed by local residents by using the name of their welfare association. “The residents have been complaining about water contamination and choked sewers for the past several months, but to no avail. I have no role in displaying these banners. But I am being targeted now as the MC tehbazari wing has issued notices for violation of norms. I have not violated any norm,” he claimed.

Congress councillor from the ward Gurpinder Kaur’s husband Baljinder Singh Sandhu said: “It is a politically motivated stunt to defame us. Former councillor Narinder Singh Malhi has got these banners displayed as he is frustrated. There is no problem of choked sewers and contaminated water supply. Many development works have been completed in the past one year.”

“When Malhi was councillor, he had done nothing for development of the ward. He paid no attention to rid the area of waterlogging during the 10-year tenure of the SAD-BJP government. These posters have not been displayed by the local residents,” said Sandhu.

Meanwhile, BJP leader and former councillor Narinder Singh Malhi denied the allegations. He said: “I have nothing to do with these banners. The local residents displayed these banners as they are unhappy with the performance of the incumbent councillor.”