Nabha ward voters force ‘recall’ pact

Patiala: Ahead of municipal elections, a Punjab township's voters have forced competing political candidates to sign an ethical "right to recall" pact, promising to resign if they fail to deliver on civic promises.The public debate organised by youth-led civic groups in Nabha's Ward 7 on Monday brought together nominees from the country's major political parties: Sonia Pahuja of the Congress, Anju Bala of the Bharatiya Janata Party, and Saroj Rani of AAP (Punjab's party in office).Under the terms of the community-enforced agreement, all three candidates pledged to step down voluntarily after two years if one-third of the ward's registered voters signed a petition expressing dissatisfaction with their performance. While Punjab lacks a statutory right-to-recall law, residents initiated the pact to counter political apathy and campaign-season corruption, such as the distribution of cash and liquor.During the timed debate, residents grilled the candidates over chronic civic failures, including broken drainage systems, stray dog populations, traffic congestion, and poor sanitation. Voters also demanded total financial transparency, forcing candidates to agree to publish all municipal meeting agendas and public tender details before infrastructure projects begin.To counter complaints that local councillors succumb routinely to partisan pressure from municipal presidents, all three nominees — each from families with deep roots in local govt — vowed to institute public consultations before voting on town council resolutions. MSID:: 131179118 413 |