Budh Ram, 65, fondly called master ji, joined the Aam Aadmi Party a day after he retired as principal of a government senior secondary school on March,31 2016.
Budh Ram says that he was an avid observer of the political system of the country and was attracted by the policies of AAP. Hence, he made up his mind to join politics after retirement. Son of a farmer, he had no political background. “All my life I taught in various schools of Budhlada constituency of Mansa district. So, people of the area knew me well,’’ says Budh ram, who won his maiden election from Budhlada in 2017 with a small margin of 1276 votes from Congress candidate Ranjit Kaur Bhatti. In 2022, his victory margin shot up to 51,691 and he defeated SAD’s Dr Nishan Sigh Kauldhar.
His supporters were disappointed when he was not inducted into the Cabinet as they though he was the right fit for the education portfolio, considering his knowledge and experience in the field of education. However, the MLA has never uttered a word on this subject and says he is happy to be a legislator.
A day in life: Master Budh Ram says he starts his day at 8 am when he begins meeting people of his area at the office in his house. This office came into being when he first jumped into politics. “I do visit in my constituency during the day wherever and I make it a point to attend every death or wedding. At times, I called to resolve some local issues but my office remains operational throughout the day and people continue coming till 9 pm.’’
Work accomplished: Repair works of roads leading to Bhikhi and Boha areas has been done and many link roads have been repaired. A water channel in Boha has been lined with concrete, which has reduced the leakage of water and increased it water carrying capacity.
Work in progress: Works amounting to Rs 78 crore are in progress in the constituency out of which Rs 50 crore will be spent on repairing water channels and outlets. “As our area is dependent on canal water, repair of minor channels and canals is also on the cards. Tenders for repairing water channels have been floated. In addition to this, we are undertaking a sewer upgradation project worth 425 crore at Bareta Mandi. We are also planing a mother and child care hospital in the constituency,’’ says Budh Ram.
Challenges: “I don’t find any challengesin my work, my passion keeps me happy. It is due to my dedication to the area that people made me win with a huge margin this time.’’
