Promises for remedy in Punjab’s cancer capital

A predominantly black soil and abysmally small landholdings (average size less than 4 acres) means that the cotton crop is the only choice for cultivators. The crop has shown an unhealthy propensity of consuming more pesticides. Year after year,the cotton develops resistance to earlier pests and becomes vulnerable to new maladies. Today,Bathinda is responsible for skewing Punjab’s pesticide consumption which shows that a state with around 3 per cent of country’s total area,accounts for 20 per cent of India’s total pesticide consumption.

The estimated 12 lakh voters are hopeful that the high-profile contest will save them from their most persistent scourge. And the two contenders certainly know its role in the polls.

Harsimrat says that if elected,she would ensure water purification systems were installed in every village. She cites the example of a Tata pilot project of water purification that was launched in one of the blocks of this constituency due to the efforts of her husband’s cousin and Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Badal. “The CM is keen that effective schemes are replicated in entire Punjab.” Water purification apart,she links the recently approved refinery of L N Mittal in Bathinda as a solution to the problem. “We have been growing cotton for a long time because there have been no alternative job opportunities here. When our government came to power,we realised that Bathinda has been neglected for a long time. Therefore,investment proposals were cleared and new projects planned. The CM’s initiative of promoting citrus cultivation is another step.”

Interestingly,the Badals are from Lambi in Muktsar district,which falls in this constituency. This is what Raninder points to: “They have ignored their own home for such a long time. Why talk about fancy investment proposals when there isn’t even a cancer block in the local civil hospital? As regards the Mittal refinery,the groundwork was done by the Congress government.” His promises include water purification scheme and health infrastructure.

Because of lack of treatment here,people have travel to a charitable cancer institute in Bikaner. They use Intercity Express between Bathinda and Sri Ganganagar. The large number of sick travelers has given the train a macabre sobriquet,the Cancer Express.

“When they came to power,they should have provided relief to the people. Instead,they were busy fomenting trouble at Dera Sacha Sauda,” alleges Raninder,referring to the Badals.