Punjab polls: Border village Mahawa demands better infrastructure, basic amenities

Amritsar (Punjab) [India], February 2 : Ahead of Punjab assembly polls, villagers in Mahawa village situated in Attari Block of Amritsar district spoke about unfulfilled promises and complained about various problems that they face like poor transport and agricultural facilities, and demanded immediate action.
Voting for the assembly elections in Punjab is to be held on February 20. Before that, campaigning by political parties is underway in the state with leaders visiting different parts of the state and presenting their party's agenda.
Mahawa village in Attari block spoke to ANI about the issues which affect them.
Kaabil Singh, district head of Punjab Border Kisan Union, claimed, "Merely painting the walls does not make the school perfect in all aspects. The Chief Minister had said that we have made schools 'smart', but the primary school in our village has only one permanent teacher for 220 students and has hired 2 private teachers on its own money, while the vacancy is for 5 teachers. At the same time, there is a vacancy of 13 teachers in the secondary school of the village, but there are only 5 teachers."
The village lacks proper health facilities. There is one dispensary in the village, which is in a state of disrepair.
Kaabil Singh said, "Medicine is not even available here. There is a doctor in the dispensary, who comes only once or twice a week. When someone falls ill, one has to go to Gururamdas Hospital in Amritsar, 35 km away. The condition is that after getting the vaccine, we did not even get the paracetamol tablet from here."
Harpal Singh, who has studied up to the 12th standard, said "There is no hope of a job, so I do farming. Politicians walk away only by talking."
Poor facilities like an 8-foot bridge built in the 1970s which they have to use to reach Amritsar are also a cause of concern.
Mikki Singh, a youth from the village said, "This is the only bridge connecting the village to Amritsar. I am 27 years old and have been looking at this bridge since I was born. Tractor trolleys have fallen here many times. Today we cross this bridge with fear. We have complained to the government many times, but no hearing has taken place."
Sukha Singh, an elder of the village said, "We complained to the MP, MLA, but no action was taken. When a school bus fell here many children were killed, many leaders had arrived, but there was no change, the plight is still the same," he said.
A problem faced by the farmers is that the fields are behind the BSF fencing in no man's land.
Kaabil Singh said, "After 1988, the government had installed fencing and since then our problem started because there are 21,600 acres of land in 220 villages of 6 districts across the fencing. Only two crops can be grown on that land, paddy and wheat and the problem in that too is that the gate of the fencing opens at 9 in the morning and closes at 4.30 in the evening. Due to this, we do not even get time for farming."
"There is also a fear of wild boars in those fields. They ruin the crops. In view of all these problems, there is a provision of compensation of Rs 10,000 per acre for us from the government. Out of which Rs 5,000 is given by the central government and Rs 5,000 by the state government. But since 2018 to date, not a single rupee has been received. We took this matter to the tribunal as well. The court also directed the government to give the money, but the money was not received," he claimed.