Ahead of polls, border village of Khalwal angry over no basic facilities

Amritsar, Jan.21 (ANI): When Punjab in the grip of election fever, the border village of Khalwal in the Ajnala sector along the India-Pakistan border is crying out for basic facilities.

There has been talk that lakhs of rupees were spent on developing the village, but a visit to the area reveals that nothing really has been done.

Inhabitants of the village say they see little meaning in the forthcoming assembly elections in the state (January 30), as they have no health, educational or transport facilities and feel they are a neglected lot.

"Where is the money spent, we do not know. There are no jobs for the youth who are in the grip of drug addiction,'' says one village elder.

They say the village should be showcased as an example of public money being looted and of false promises being made by politicians.

The road that links the village with the rest of Punjab in Amritsar District is in bad shape. There is no school or dispensary and villagers have to travel long distances to nearby towns or to Amritsar to avail basic facilities.

"The politicians show their faces during elections and never return to ask in what condition we are living in,'' said another villager.

He further said that since 1947, when the border came into existence, the villagers have repeatedly been given failed promises by the politicians.

"We do not have access to basic amenities like potable water supply, uninterrupted electricity supply, a school or even a dispensary," he said.

He added that there was no compensation paid and their children have no sources of income and are forced to live in poverty. By Ravinder Singh Robin (ANI)