Poor facilities make life a struggle for residents of Rampura Phul

Sameer Singh

Potholed roads, poor sewerage system, lack of medical services and drug menace are some of the key issues being faced by residents of the Rampura Phul constituency. “In Rampura city, heaps of garbage can be seen strewn along roadsides. In Phul town, during the rainy season, roads gets waterlogged and muddy, making it difficult for both the vehicles and pedestrians to cross from here,” said Gurkirat Singh, a resident of Rampura Phul.

“At Kotha Guru village, the pond has not been cleaned for decades. As a result villagers have to bear the foul smell daily. Moreover, stagnant water is also a breeding ground for many diseases,” said Gurpreet Singh, a villager.

“Due to the construction work of an overbridge in Rampura city, traffic is diverted to the main Phul market area, resulting in traffic chaos. People park their vehicles on roads, worsening the situation,” said Sasi Kala, a local.

Gurinder Singh, a resident of Bhagta Bhai Ka village said, “There is no effort whatsoever to improve the ailing medical infrastructure in government hospitals. Even for a minor medical emergency, they refer you to Bathinda. The hospitals here are ill-equipped and do not have sufficient staff.”

Past trend

The constituency was once a stronghold of the CPI with its nominee Babu Singh winning in 1962, 1969, 1977 and 1980. In 1997, SAD’s Sikandar Singh Maluka defeated Harbansh Singh. Sitting MLA Gurpreet Kangar won twice in 2002 and 2007 by defeating SAD.

Electorate strength

Total voters 1,65,673
Male 87,487
Female 78,181
Third gender 5