LAHORE: The recent development projects in the NA-120 have apparently failed to woo voters in many area of the constituency, as the residents have said that a lot more needs to be done, especially when it comes to the provision of clean drinking water and a sewerage system.
Mudasir Khan, a resident of Mohni Road, the home constituency of Punjab Food Minister Bilal Yasin, said that the public representatives are befooling the dwellers.
“Bilal Yasin is befooling the masses. But the residents will not fall into his trap. They are doing patch work and remodeling streets. He should address the real issue of water which is mixed with sewerage. If he wants our vote, he will have to do real work. Some streets gave a feeling of travelling on a hilly path in the area.”
“There are several open manholes and we have repeatedly lodged complaints to city government and local leadership but to no avail,” he said.
The under-developed areas in NA-120 include Mohni Road, Gulshan-e-Riaz, Khokhar Town, Ravi Colony, Malipura, Kasurpura, Mominpura, Ganjian De Ghatti and Nisbat Road while developed localities include Mall Road, Queens Road, Lower Mall, Lake Road, Mouj Darya Road, Lytton Road, Civil Secretariat, Chauburji, Rajgarh, Riwaz Garden, Karim Park, Islampura, Bilal Gunj, New and old Anarkali, Urdu Bazaar, Hall Road, Cooper Road, Sanda, Sanat Nagar, Dev Samaaj Road, Sham Nagar, Sanda and Prem Nagar.
Muneer, a resident of Bund Road said that basic civic facilities such as clean drinking water, road network and a proper sewerage system are still a distant dream in the area. “The PML-N leaders have laid stones in streets for patch work but have not carpeted the roads and streets yet in the area.” He also complained about a lack of clean drinking water in the area and the ineffective filtration plants. “There is not a single healthcare facility [here]. No one pays heed to these public issues.”
Muhammad Nadeem, a resident of Islampura, also complained about the dearth of civic facilities in the area and urged the PML-N leadership to focus more in the area. “No one focuses on sewerage system in the area. Nawaz Sharif never came to the constituency. At least he should come and see with his own eye what is going on in the area.”
On the other hand, shopkeepers and businessmen in big commercial hubs of the NA-120 like Mall Road, Hall Road, Beadon Road, Urdu Bazaar, Circular Road, Abid Market, Lytton Road, Abbot Road, Anarkali, Neela Gumbad, Bansoon Wala Bazaar, Azam Market, Laxmi Chowk, Chamberlain Road, Napier Road, Bilal Gunj, Tape Road and Ratigun Road complained about traffics jams, illegal parking and encroachments.
They said that frequent traffic jams have become a routine in the commercial areas of this constituency and have badly affected the businesses.
The by-poll in NA-120 will be held on September 17 and the constituency is witnessing a massive electioneering. A tough contest is expected between PML-N’s Kulsoom Nawaz and PTI’s Yasmin Rashid.