LUDHIANA: Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari today lashed out at the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation authorities for discriminating against the wards represented by the Congress party. He revealed that there was a huge gap in the development grants provided in the wards represented by the Congress and those by the ruling Akali-BJP alliance.

Addressing a well attended public meeting at Lohara village in Ludhiana South assembly segment organised by the Halqa incharge Ashok Prashar Pappi, the minister disclosed that the grants provided to the wards represented by the Congress councillors were peanuts as compared to those represented by the Akali-BJP councillors. He disclosed that when the Congress councillors seek development in the areas represented by them, the MC has one standard excuse that it is short of funds, but when it comes to the areas represented by the Akali-BJP alliance funds are splurged at the discretion of the people in authority. “Let me clarify it to them that the development cannot be carried out at the whims and fancies of individuals”, he asserted while adding, “it must be uniform and indiscriminate”.

Tewari pointed out, a number of development projects like the city bus service were funded by the government ofIndia. Those who are trying to discriminate against the Congress represented areas must have some conscience to realise that they are answerable to people and time is not far when they would be held accountable for their omissions and commissions. The Minister said, the Akali-BJP alliance must not take the power for granted and assume that they are there for good. “It does not take much time for the tide to turn”, he said amidst thundering applause from the audience, while warning the ruling alliance that soon they will have to face the people in the parliamentary elections when they will be taught a lesson.

Among others present on the occasion included Pawan Dewan, Milkiat Singh Birmi, Gurmail Singh Pahlawan, Hemraj Aggarwal, Jarnail Singh Shimlapuri, Rakesh Sharma, Anil Pappi, Harjinder Singh Lali, Varinder Sehgal, Juggi Brar, Sushil Prashar, Rakesh Prashar, Deepak Khandoor, Bibi Gurdeep Kaur, Sikandar Singh Lohara, Rajiv Sharma, Baljeet Gogna, Kamal Sharma, Palwinder Taggar, Sadhu Ram Singhi, and others.