‘Women’s safety, proper drainage top on my mind’
Bathinda’s first woman mayor, Raman Goyal of Congress, is scheduled to assume office on Friday. This will be for the first time that the Congress party will be ruling the municipal corporation. Goyal had defeated BJP’s Seema Arora by 1,134 votes from Ward 35. She belongs to a known business family of the city. Goyal is a graduate in humanities and education and was a homemaker before she started delving into politics. She enjoys singing ‘bhajans’. Vishal Joshi spoke to her to know what her vision for the development of the city. Excerpts of an interview:
What are your immediate priorities for the city?
Installing a web of close circuit television (CCTV) cameras to curb crime against women and to have a proper drainage system are my top priorities. There is a need to streamlining city’s traffic management with a long-term perspective. I will make sure to take the police department on board to make city safe for the women.
I will join the mayor’s office on Friday and I do not have exact details. But the finance minister and Congress legislator from Bathinda Manpreet Singh Badal has assured liberal financial support for pro-people works.
Have you set any timeline for ongoing city projects?
Poor drainage system is a blot on Bathinda city. Even a moderate rainfall inundates the city and administration has to take out boats. Work to strengthen stormwater is underway and it will be ensured that work gets completed before the monsoon sets in.
Any plan to expedite pending development projects?
I will expedite works of shifting bus stand to a new location on the National Highway-7. Multi-level parking near fire Brigade Chowk will mitigate traffic nuisance to a large extent in the old locality of the city. To improve Swachh Survekshan ratings, more public participation will be ensured.
Your election as mayor led to an open opposition by a party colleague.
It was a unanimous decision with the consent of the party leadership. Jagroop Singh Gill Ji is the senior-most councillor and I will keep seeking his guidance on various issues of the corporation. There are no groups among Congress councillors.