Badal inaugurates projects in Bains bastion

LUDHIANA: While independent MLAs Simarjit Bains and Balwinder Bains have opened a front against the state government, on Sunday chief minister Parkash Singh Badal also broke into their bastion by laying foundation stones of developmental works in areas of independent councillors supporting Bains brothers.
Foundation stone for projects worth over Rs 6.95 crore were laid by Badal in Ludhiana East Constituency area on Sunday.These include Rs 1.17-crore renovation project of Government School at Subhash Nagar in the ward represented by Bains brothers' supporter Gurpreet Singh Gora. Apart from this, foundation stone of a 30-bedded government hospital project worth Rs 5 crore was also kept.
In Rahon Road area, represented by independent councillor Daljeet Singh Grewal alias Bhola, he laid foundation stone of two projects, including Vishva Karma Bhawan, which is to be constructed at a cost of Rs 59 lakh and Islamia School to be built at a cost of Rs 22 lakh in Mayapuri area. The area has witnessed many a stand-offs between Bhola, a staunch supporter of Bains brothers, and SAD MLA from Ludhiana East constituency Ranjit Singh Dhillon. Some years ago, exchange of fire also took place some years ago and a case was registered against Bhola and his men.
Notably, Bains brothers have been carrying out a campaign against sand mafia that, they allege, has government patronage. Team Insaaf includes Bains brothers and over 5 independent councillors from Ludhiana, including Bhola and Gora. The inauguration of these projects is being seen as an aggressive stand of the Badal government. Even on Sunday, all arrangements were made by the police and district administration to avert any kind of protest by Team Insaaf.