Jaitley hears villagers’ woes on Indo-pak border

Taking a break from campaigning in urban areas, Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) Amritsar candidate Arun Jaitley on Friday moved to the villages along the Indo-Pak fence to get first-hand information of the border-area woes. At Dhariwal Udhar village, Jaitley, accompanied by senior Akali leader.

Taking a break from campaigning in urban areas, Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) Amritsar candidate Arun Jaitley on Friday moved to the villages along the Indo-Pak fence to get first-hand information of the border-area woes.

At Dhariwal Udhar village, Jaitley, accompanied by senior Akali leader Veer Singh Lopoke, heard the farmers having lands across the fence.

Addressing a gathering, Jaitley said, “The life of farmers having their lands across the fence is tough. Many a time, they are denied access to their lands due to security reasons.

I have come here to understand the problems border residents face. The NDA (National Democratic Alliance) government had started a compensation for farmers having lands across the fence, which was stopped by the UPA government. I promise that when the NDA comes to power, the border region will be a priority.”

Later, addressing a rally at Chogawan village, Jaitley said, “Today, if the border region is suffering, it is just because of the Congress-led UPA. I want to know why farmers having lands across the fence were denied compensation.”

Seeking votes from the locals, Jaitley said, “I can assure you that development of Amritsar border region will be a priority. I will try to generate maximum employment opportunities so that the youth doesn’t go astray.”

Speaking on the occasion, Lopoke said, “The Congress has always meted out an indifferent treatment to Punjab. The time has come to make a change and vote for the NDA. Jaitley saab can play a vital role in the development of Amritsar.”

On a question regarding former cricketer Bishen Bedi coming to Amritsar to support Capt Amarinder Singh, Jaitley said, “This is Bedi’s personal matter and he has the right to do so. I don’t want to comment on this.”