MLA report cards: Sarup Chand Singla and Ajaib Singh Bhatti
Hindustan Times takes a look at Punjab MLAs and their performance:
Sarup Chand Singla, 55, Shiromani Akali Dal
Constituency: Bathinda Urban
Education: Class 10
Assets declared in last polls: Rs 10.5 cr
Electoral record
2012: Defeated Harminder Singh Jassi of Congress by 6,645 votes
2007: Lost to Harminder Singh Jassi of Congress by 14,645 votes
Assembly record
Questions asked: 0
Call attention moved: 0
Power punch A Hindu face for SAD; lost heft after party’s 2014 poll dip here
What next Wants to contest again, but the party may replace him
How he performed
Soon after winning the election, Singla lost the plot in the Hindu-dominated urban constituency. The Badal family faced embarrassment in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls after now-Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal trailed by over 29,000 votes from this part of the Bathinda LS segment, even though she won the election. A waste management plant drew flak from people due to its location; and has not become operational. The Bathinda airport is set to become operational, and there is an AIIMS centre coming here too, but these projects are centrally sponsored. Singla claims he completed 90% work on laying water supply and sewerage lines in Bathinda, but there is still no permanent solution to the waterlogging problem, particularly during monsoon.
Voter speak
Development of lakes and renovation of the fort have helped promote tourism. Commissioning of Bathinda airport expected by the end of this year will be icing on the cake.
Satish Arora, 52, businessman
A waste management plant in a residential area is a major blunder by Singla and his party. Residents of the area will boycott him if the process of shifting does not start before polls.
Jit Singh Joshi, 62, professor
By the way
Has ‘verified’ FB page; posts almost daily
Ajaib Singh Bhatti,65,Congress
Constituency: Bhucho Mandi (SC)
Education: MA, BEd
Assets declared in last polls: Rs 3.5 cr
Electoral record
2012: Defeated Pritam Singh of the SAD by margin of 1,288 votes
2007: Defeated Gura Singh Tungwali of SAD by margin of 6,650 votes
Assembly record
Question asked: 68
Call attention moved: 2
Power punch Ex-PCS officer, built goodwill when he was posted here
What next Likely to contest the next election too on Congress ticket
How he performed
After sitting in the opposition during this term and the previous one, Bhatti had nothing much to offer for his constituency on the development front. Most of the works in his constituency were mainly done from MPLADS funds of some party MPs. However, the state government laid sewer and water supply lines in the urban areas of the constituency, besides laying concrete link roads in villages. More than 15 Sewa Kendras were recently inaugurated by the state government. The tragedy with the constituency remains that its elected representative, Bhatti, was not at all made part of any discussions, which has all but halted basic, civic development of the constituency for the past decade.
Voter speak
With no power in hand, our MLA hardly did any development in his tenure. Most of the development works were carried out by using MPLAD funds.
Gurpreet Singh, 22, farmer
Civic amenities are in a complete mess. The condition of roads is the worst as the MLA completely failed to deliver on his promise of development.
Sukhjinder Kaur, 34, employee
By the way
Fond of reading, especially political literature
Tomorrow: Maur, Mansa, Sardulgar, Budhlada