1. Social Welfare Schemes
The State Welfare Department has undertaken the following schemes :
(i)
Subsidy for the Construction of New Houses for Scheduled Castes and Vimukt Jatis :- The economic condition of the members of
Scheduled Castes and Mimukt jatis is
very poor. They live in congested areas and mostly in chhappars (thatched
huts). Therefore to help the poor and homeless members of these classes, subsidies are granted for the
construction of new houses. The houses subsidized under the scheme are build in
the form of colonies. A subsidy of Rs.
900 was granted to each deserving person. But the amount of the subsidy
of Rs. 900 was granted to each deserving person. But the amount of the subsidy
has been increased to Rs. 2,000 with effect from 1975-76. Unskilled labour or
sites or both for the construction of houses are provided by the beneficiaries
themselves. Each house consists of a
room, a verandah, a kitchen and a courtyard, all covering 5 or 6 marlas.
The
beneficiaries under the scheme are bound
not to alienate the properties, so acquired by them. The proprietary
rights of the house are fully vested in the Punjab Government for 20 years,
after which the house becomes the property of the beneficiary . However, the
latter enjoys free use of the house during this period.
The total amount of subsidies granted and the number
of beneficiaries under the schemes in the District during 1973-74 to 1979-80
are given below :
Year Amount Number of
Disbursed Benficiaries
(Rs)
1973-74 7,200 1
1974-75 -- ---
1975-76 1,50,000 75
1976-77 1,92,000 96
1977-78 3,04,000 152
1978-79 3,00,000 150
1979-80 3,00,000 150
(Source : District Welfare Officer, Firozpur)
Subsidy for the
Purchase of Agricultural Land :- The members of the Scheduled Castes and
Vimukt Jatis generally depend on agriculture. But most of them have no land of
their own, and earn their livelihood by taking land on lease or on batai
(crop-sharing). to help the needy, poor and deserving landless Harijans,
each was given Rs. 2,000 as subsidy for purchasing agricultural land, measuring
not less then 5 acres and costing up to Rs. 4,500. the balance of the price of
land, i.e. Rs. 25,00, was contributed
by the beneficiary from his own resources or by raising a loan for the Land
Mortgage Bank. Since 1971-72, the amount of subsidy has been increased to
Rs. 5,000 for the purchase of 3 acres,
costing not less than Rs. 7,500. In addition, Rs. 1,000 is given to each
beneficiary for the construction of a house on the land purchased by him. The
beneficiaries are also given subsidy for meeting stamp duty charges at the rat
eof Rs. 160 each. The amount of the subsidies granted and the number of
beneficiaries, i.e. persons settled on land under the scheme in the District,
during 1973-74 to 1979-80, are given below :
Year Amount Number of
Disbursed Beneficiaries
(Rs)
1973-74
12,360 2
1974-75 61,800 10
1975-76 80,340 13
1976-77 80,340 13
1977-78 1,23,600 20
1978-79 1,05,060 17
Subsidy for
Drinking-Water :- With a vie to providing pour drinking-water for the
Scheduled Castes in the areas where there is scarcity of it, subsidy is given for constructing diggies, sinking
wells, repairing old wells and
installing hand-pumps. The amount disbursed, along with the number of villages benefited under this scheme
during 1973-74 to 1979-80, is given in the following table :
Year Amount Number of
Disbursed Villages
- (Rs)
1973-74 37,800 113
1974-75 40,850 100
1975-76 61,200 118
1976-77 45,575 97
1977-78 76,900 253
1978-79 51,850 126
1979-80 50,000 116
Dharmshala Scheme :- This scheme was
introduced during 1969-70. Under it, Rs. 5,000 was given for the construction
of new dharmshala in a Harijan basti. This amount of grant was raised of
Rs. 5,500 in 1970-71 to Rs. 7,000 during 1974-75 and still further to Rs.
10,000 in 1978-79.
The amount disbursed under
scheme and the number of villages
benefited in the District during 1973-74 to 1979-80 is given in the
following
Year Amount Number of
Disbursed Villages
- (Rs) Benefited
, 1973-74 7,01,000 130
1974-75 6,50,000 95
1975-76 6,63,000 97
1976-77 8,74,000 126
1977-78 3,15,000 45
1978-79 4,12,000 44
1979-80 4,58,000 55
Basti Sudhar Scheme :- The majority of
Scheduled Castes live in the rural areas and the environmental conditions
of their basties lack the basic sanitary facilities. This scheme aims at making
pucca streets and drains in the basties. These works are executed through the
Public Health Department as deposit
works. The rough cost estimates of the pucca streets and drains are prepared by
that Department and the amount is sanctioned and sent to the concerned
executive engineer by the Department of Welfare of Scheduled Castes and
Backward Classes, Punjab.
So, far, 1,083 villages have been covered under this
scheme in the State. The amount spent, along with the number of villages covered under the scheme during 1973-74 to
1979-80, in the Firozpur District, is given in the following table :
Year Amount Number of
Disbursed Villages
- (Rs)
1973-74
5,80,356 22
1974-75 6,41,618 18
1975-76 4,20,416 5
1976-77 7,17,758 12
1977-78 ---
--
1978-79 4,83,537 7
1979-80 2,76,000 2
Free
:- Distribution-of-books Scheme :- This scheme was started
during 1976-77. Under this scheme, the student belonging to the Scheduled
Castes studying in the 6th, 7th and 8th
classes are given books free of cost.
The number of books, along with their values and the
number of student benefited under this scheme, are detailed below :
Year Number of Total Number of
Supplied (Rs.)
1976-77 8,974 14,180 1,233
1977-78 12,670 23,870 1,252
1978-79 13,400 29,394 2,000
1979-80 19,165 41,242 2,384
1980-81 25,566 55,336 3,147
Community Welfare Centre :- To look after
the children of working mothers of Balmiki sweepers, scavengers, etc. when they are at work, Government crèches or
centres are functioning. These centres are
running in those towns where the population of the above categories of women is
large. At these centres, children in the age-group of 0 to 6 years are
enrolled. Each child is given a diet worth Rs. 1.25 daily. there is one lady
supervisor and tow nurse-cum-lady attendents at each centre to look after these
children.
Under
the scheme, 7 Community Welfare Centres are functioning in the District at
Fatehgarh Korotana, Bara Pohwindian and Makhu (Zira Tehsil), Ladhoke (Fzailka
Tehsil), Firozpur Cantonment and Mothanwala (Firozpur Tehsil) and Khanpur.
Legal Assistance :- To protect the
members of Scheduled Castes, Vimukt Jatis and other Backward Classes against
the tyrannies of the landlords and other exploiting classes, they are provided
with legal assistance by the Government to fight out their cases pertaining to
ejectment from land or other properties, recovery of rent due to landlords,
cases pertaining to khasra girdawari, the observance of untouchability, etc.
The Deputy Commissioner arranges part-time counsel to take up all such cases on
payment of suitable remuneration.
The scheme was introduce into the State in 1958-59.
The amount provided in the form of legal assistance and the number of
beneficiaries in the District during 1973-74 to 1979-80 are given below :
Year Amount Number of
Disbursed Beneficiaries
(Rs)
1973-74 500 5
1974-75 -- --
1975-76 911 3
1976-77 -- --
1977-78 675 1
1978-79 -- --
179-80 1,120 3
(Source : District Welfare Officer, Firozpur)
(viii)
Zonal Coaching-Centre, Patiala :- With a vie to imparting
pre-examination coaching to the students belonging to Scheduled Castes and
Scheduled Tribes for the IAS, IPS and allied services, a training-centre, known
as the Zonal coaching-Centre, has been
set up at Patiala at the Punjab University Campus. The candidates are provided
with free board and lodging and medical facilities during the period of
training.
In
addition to the above-mentioned schemes, the Industrial Training Department,
Punjab, has sponsored several other schemes for imparting training to the
members of the Schedules Castes and Backward Classes in various engineering and
non-engineering trades. Of these schemes, the following may be mentioned :
(i)
Industrial Training Centres :- The Department runs a
number of Industrial Training Centres, exclusively meant for the trainees
belonging to the Scheduled Castes, Vimukt Jatis and Backward Classes, aged
between 14 to 25 years. Each trainee, belonging to the Scheduled Castes and
Backward Class, is granted a stipend of Rs. 25 per month, while that belonging
to the Vimukt Jatis is granted a stipend of Rs. 45 per month for the one-year
course.
(ii)
Industrial Training in miles, Factories and Institutions :- Under this scheme, stipends are awarded to
the students belonging to the Scheduled Castes, Vimukt Jatis and other Backward
Classes, who get vocational or
technical training in the various Industrial training institutes, centres,
schools, etc. run by the State Industrial Training Department as well as by the
various mills and factories in the private sector. The training in these
institutions lasts for only one year. A stipend of Rs. 25 per month is granted
to the candidates belonging to the Scheduled Castes or Backward Classes and Rs.
45 to those belonging to the Vimukt Jatis.
(iii) Industrial Training Institutes :- Under this
scheme, a number of industrial training institutes are functioning in the
State. In them training is imparted to the
students in various engineering and non-engineering trades. Twenty per cent of
the seats are reserved for the trainees belonging to the Scheduled Castes and
two per cent for those belonging to the Backward Classes. A stipend of Rs. 40
per month is awarded to 60 cent of the
trainees belonging to those classes on
poverty-cum-merit basis. They are also provided with other facilities,
such as free education, free medical aid, free clothing and free hostel
accommodation, subject to the availability of seats.
(IV)
Industrial
Schools for Boys and Girls :- Training is imparted in various vocational
engineering trades in these schools to the students. Twenty per cent of the
seats are reserved for the trainees belonging to the Schedules Castes and two per cent for those belonging to the
Backward Classes. Stipends are awarded to a limited number of trainees on
poverty-cum-merit basis. The trainings is given free to all the trainees.
Representative Institutions.
Two
representative institutions are functioning in the District under the guidance
of Harijan leaders. These institutions are engaged mainly in the uplift of the
Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes and aim at removing untouchability and
other social evils. These institutions
have also their branches at various places in the District. The name of these
institutions are as under :
1. District Backward Classes
League, Abohar.
2. Balmik Sabha, Firozpur.
(d) Other Social
Welfare Activities
Social
services cover too wise a range of activities to be dealt with here. A few of
them are detailed below :
Old-Age-Pension Scheme :- This scheme was
introduced into the State in 1964 with a vie to providing social security
through the grant of financial assistance for deserving destitute, old and
disabled persons who have neither any
means of subsistence nor anybody to the case of women, they should be 60 or
above. The rate of pension was increased in July 1968 from Rs. 15 to 25 per month and further raised to Rs. 50 per month
with effect form March 1973, keeping in view the rising prices of essential
commodities.
There
were as on 31 March 1980, as many as 5,010 beneficiaries under this scheme.
Financial Assistance to Widows and Destitute
Women :- This scheme was introduced into the State in 1968 with a view to
providing financial assistance for the needy and destitute women below the age
of 60 years. This assistance under the scheme is given to those women who are
left without any means of subsistence after the deaths of their husbands or to
those whose husbands are physically or mentally incapable of earning a
livelihood. Keeping in view the
increased cost of living, the rate of assistance was raised from Rs. 25
to 50 per month with effect from 1 March 1973.
There
were on 31 March 1980, as many as 1,150 beneficiaries under this scheme.
Financial Assistance to Dependent Children :- This scheme came
into force in March 1968. It aims at providing orphan and destitute children
under 16 years with relief. Such children should either have lost their parents
or whose parents are unable to maintain them owing to some incurable disease or
permanent physical disability.
In
the case of more than one deserving child in a family preference n the grant of
financial assistance is given to school-going children. the rate of financial
assistance, which was previously Rs. 20 per month, has been increased to Rs. 50
per month per child with effect from 1 March 1974.
On 31
March 1980, there were 227 beneficiaries under this scheme.
Public Trusts, Charitable Endowments and
Muslim Wakfs
(e) Public trusts and charitable endowments
render useful service to society in various fields, such as social, religious
and educational ones. Several educational institutions, medical institutions,
Dharmshalas and other similar social-welfare institutions are run by these
organizations. Their finances come either from contributions, or from
revenue-free land attached to some of them.
The
notable public trusts existing in the District are briefly mentioned below :
1. Har Bhagwan Memorial Trust, Firozpur :- Founded By Rai Gopimal about the year 1887,
the main object of the trust is the spreading of education among the masses. It
also runs a free hospital for women.
2. Narain Dass Daroga Trust, Firozpur :- The trust was
founded by Narian Dass Daroga about the year 1890 for running a dispensary, for
providing patients with medicines and for imparting education in Hindi and for
awarding scholarships to the students.
3. Lal Tulsi Ram Samadh and Hospital for
Women, Village Gamewal, Tehsil and District Firozpur :- Founded on 10
August 1909 in the memory of Tulsi Ram, ¼
of income of the trust, managing these institutions, is utilized for the
maintenance of the samadh and ¾ for the hospital.
4. The Jain Upasru Trust, Zira :- Founded in 1933,
the Trust runs a dispensary for women at Zira.
5. Sawan mal Memorial Trust ;- Founded in 1958
in the memory of Shri Sawan Mal, the Trust runs an serai and a janj ghar (a
place for marriage parties to stay).
6. Bara Thakurwara Trust, Dharmkot :- Founded in 1887
by the local people, the Trust maintains a temple.
7. Arjan Dass High School Trust, Dharamkot :- Founded in 1914
in the memory of Arjan Das, the trust runs a higher secondary school at
Dharmkot.
8. Amar Nath Janjghar Trust, Dharmkot : Founded in 1960
in the memory of Amar Nath, the Trust runs a janj ghar.
9. Munshi Ram Charitable Trust, Fazilka :- Founded by Shri
Munshi Ram on 20 February 1937 for imparting education, the Trust runs the M.R.
College, Fazilka.
10. Sharda Trust, Abohar. Registered in
1969 for the benefit of poor and needy persons, the Trust runs a dharmshala, an
Ayurvedic dispensary and a Sanskrit Maha Vidyalaya.
Besides,
there are a number of Muslim wakfs at different places in the District, with
properties attached to some of them. These properties were maintained by the
Custodian Department, Government of India, up to 1961, when their
administration was entrusted to the Punjab Wakf Board (with its headquarters at
the Ambala Cantonment). The
administration of the wakfs is regulated by the Central Wakf Act, 1954.
The income from the properties of the wakfs is spent
for upkeep of its institutions and for various charitable purposes and for
promoting education, both religious and secular, of the Muslims. The income
from the properties of the wakfs in the District during 1972-73 to 1979-80 is
given below :
Year Income
(Rs)
1972-73
60,128
1973-74
66,163
1974-75
64,979
1975-76
87,614
1976-77
89,938
1977-78
1,16,314
1978-79
1,23,947
1979-80
1,99,510
The important
wakfs in the District are : the Islamia Schools, Baghdadi Gate, Firozpur City;
the Mosque and Anjuman Islamia School at the Firozpur Cantonment; the Anjuman
Islamia, Idgha and graveyard at Abohar.
The
staff of the Wakf Board posted in the District consist of the Wakf Officer (at
Firozpur) and three rent-collectors one each at Firozpur, Fazilka and Zira.
List of Trade Unions in the Firozpur District
Serial Name of Trade Union Date of
registration
No.
1. Municipal employee’s
Union , Firozpur 31
May 1952
2. Satluj Flour-Mill
worker’s, Firozpur City 19
January, 1956
3. Cotton-Mill mazdoor
Union, Abohar 23
August 1959
4. Station Master Group Association, Firozpur 15 April 1960
5. Hussainniwala Border Labour Union, Firozpur 23 March 1962
6. Municipal Fire Brigade Employees, Union, Ferozpur 7 March 1963
7. Municipal Mazdoor Sabha, Abohar 17
January 1965
8. Harijan Workers Union Cantonment Board, FZR City 10 August 1967
9. Cotton-Mill Mazdoor Union, Fazlika 25 August 1967
10. Abohar cotton &
Grain Merchant’s Association, Abohar
8 January 1969
11. Safai Karamchai Union
Nagar Palika, Firozpur City 3
March 1969
12. Bhiwani Mill Karamchari Sangh, Abohar 11 March 1969
13. Punjab Government Labour Union, PWD 28 March 1969
& B & R, Firozpur City.
14. Rickshaw Worker’s Union, Firozpur 25 May 1970
15. Bakery Worker’s Union, Firozpur 17 March 1971
16. Firozpur Agro-Industries Association,
Firozpur 28 July 1971
17. Firozpur Central Co-operative Bank Employees
14 March 1971
Union, Firozpur
City.
Serial Name of Trade Union Date of
registration
No.
18. Municipal Staff Union, Abohar 22
May 1972
19. Fazlika Central Co-operative Bank Employees 1 March 1973
20. Nagir Palika Karamchari Sangh, Firozpur 28 February, 1973
21. Biscuit Bakery Workers’s Union, Fazlika 7 November 1973
22. Safai Karamchari Union, Fazilka 9
September 1974
23. Safai Sewak Union Municipal Committee,
Abohar 27 January 1975
24. Zila Firozpur Cotton & Ginning Mill
Mazdoor Union 14 April 1975
Fazlika.
25. M.E.S. Civilian Workers Employees’ Union
Firozpur 21 February
Firozpur Cantonment.
26. Galla Mazdoor Union, Firozpur 26
September 1976
27. Building Usari Mazdoor Union, Talwandi
Bhai. 11 April 1977
28. Vishkarma Union Firozpur City 8
August 1977
29. Cotton-Mill Labour Union, Abohar 25
October 1977
30. Northern Railway Welding & Trading
Contractors 2 June 1978
Association, Firozpur.
PUBLIC LIFE AND
VOLUNTARY SOCIAL SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS
(a) Representation of the District in the State
and the Union
Legislatures
Historical
Retrospect :- Representative Government was partially introduced into India
under the Government of India Act, 1919, which created a bicameral Central
Legislature, consisting of a Council of State and a Legislative Assembly, with
a duration of 5 and 3 years respectively. The Act also created a legislative council in every governor’s
province including the Punjab, with a normal duration of 3 years.
The
Government of India Act, 1919, was replaced by the Government of India Act,
1935. The Central Legislature continued as before. A bicameral legislative was
introduced into the Punjab, consisting of Legislative Assembly and a
Legislative Council. The normal duration of the Punjab Legislative Assembly was
5 years. The Punjab Legislative Council was a permanent body, one-third of its
members retiring every third year.
The
franchise, under the aforesaid two Acts, was generally based on citizenship,
residence, community, religion, race, age, sex, property, taxation, etc.
Special representation was provided for
commerce, industry, mining, plantation, labour, land-holders, the Punjab
University, and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. As a result, the
constituencies were of diverse nature and the qualifications for membership varied accordingly, except
with respect to age.
The
first General Elections under the Government of India Act, 1919, were held in
1920, simultaneously both for the Legislative Assembly and the Punjab
Legislative Council. Thereafter, the elections were held at statutory
intervals, with interruptions in view of further constitutional reforms.
The
first general Elections, under the Government of India Act, 1935 were held in
January 1937 and the second and last in March 1946. This long gap was due to
the interruption in the normal working of the constitution in course of the
World War II (1939-45).
General Elections held under
the Constitution of India :After the general Elections in March 1946, a Constituent
Assembly was elected by the members of the Provincial Legislative Assemblies
and it first sitting was held on 9 December 1946. It was entrusted with the framing of a constitution
for the country. Under the Indian Independence Act, 1947, enacted by the
British Parliament on 18 July 1947, India achieved Independence on 15 August
1947. While the Drafting Committee of the Constituent Assembly was busy with
the preparation of Draft Constitution of India, the Constituent Assembly, on 27
September 1947 called upon the provincial governments to formulate proposals
for the formation of constituencies of the proposed House of the People,
providing therein for the reservation of seats for the Muslims, the Scheduled
Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and the Indian Christians. The Draft Constitution
of India was published on 26 February 1948. The Constituent Assembly in its
letter, dated 15 March 1948 asked the
provincial governments to take immediate steps for the preparation of the
electoral rolls. It intimated that the Draft Constitution provided that
elections to the Lower House of the Antral and Provincial Legislatures should
be held on the basis of adult franchise, the minimum age of voters being 21
years which should be calculated with reference to 1 January 1949, and that a
person, who had not resided at the place of registration for at least 180 days
during the year ending 31 March 1948, was not eligible for enrolment as an
elector. Further it intimated that there would be no separate communal
electorates and, therefore, only one composite roll for all communities should
be prepared, but in order to determine whether a candidate for a reserved seat
was a voter belonging to the particular
community, namely, the Muslim, the Scheduled Castes or the Scheduled Tribes,
for which the seat was reserved, the electoral roll should contain the
necessary information. The Constitution of India was approved in November 1949,
and enforced from 26 January 1950.
General Elections, 1951-52 :- After the
completion of the Census operation in 1951, steps were taken to hold elections.
The task of conducting the General Elections in 1951-52, under the Constitution
of India, both for the House of People (Lok Sabha) and State Legislative
Assemblies (Vidhan Sabha), was of great magnitude and complexity. The influx of
refugees from Pakistan, coupled with the extension of franchise from 13 per cent to about 50 per cent of the
population (under universal franchise), required the preparation of almost
entirely new rolls in a very limited time. The delimitation of constituencies
had to be undertaken afresh; 7,000 polling stations (including tehsils Moga and
Muktsar) had to be set up in contrast with 1,300 in 1946. Thousands of
subordinate staff had to be made conversant with the new and complicated
election procedure.
During 1951-52, the total population of the Firozpur
District was 7,20,511 (1951 census), there were, 2 Parliamentary Constituencies
(including one doubled-member constituency) ( including parts of the Ludhiana
and Hisar district), and 8 Punjab Legislative
Assembly Constituencies (including two double-member constituencies)
were allocated to the District. One Assembly seat was allocated to a population
of 1,00,079 or 46,571 voters and the elections were held between 26 December
1951 and 15 February 1952.
There were two Parliamentary constituencies in the
District, viz. Fazlika-Sirsa and Firozpur-Ludhiana (double-member constituency)
and these constituencies consisted of 3,60,933 and 7,64,171 electors
respectively. Some area of the Fazlika, Sirsa constituency fell into the Sirsa District (now in the Haryan State),
Faridkot and Bhatinda districts, where as the Firozpur-Ludhiana
(doubled-member) constituency had included some area of Faridkot and Ludhiana
districts. The candidate elected from the Fazlika-Sirsa Parliamentary
Constituency had affiliation with the
Congress, whereas both of those elected from the double-member
Firozpur-Ludhiana Parliamentary
Constituency had party affiliation with
the Akali Dal. The number of votes polled by the different political parties
was as follows :
Valid votes Total
valid
Indian National Congress 3,59,282 65.1
Akali Dal 3,58,519 34.9
Independents 1,79,616 17.5
Scheduled Castes 1,16,057 12.3
Jang Sangh 12,672
1.2
------------------------------------------------
Total 10,26,146 100
For the Punjab Legislative Assembly, there were 11
constituencies consisting of 13 seats, in the District. In 1972, Mehna, Bagha
Purana,
Muktsar
and Kot Bhai (double-member) constituencies of the Firozpur District were
transferred to the newly created Faridkot District. The constituencies left in
the present Firozpur District, were Moga-Dharmkot (double-member constituency),
Khuian Sarwar, Abohar, Mallanwala, Firozpur, Guru Har Sahai and Fazlika.
During 1951-52, the total population of the District
was 7,20,511 persons and the electors were 3,96,892. Out of the 8 elected
candidates, 2 had affiliation with the Akali Dal, 3 with the congress, and 3
Independents. The total number of votes polled by each party is given hereunder
:
votes Polled
Independent 81,043 30.87
Indian National Congress 99,185 37.18
Shiromani Akali Dal 42,652 16.34
Bhartiya Janta Party 22,558 8.69
Forward Bloc 1,320 0.40
Punjab State
Socialist Party 6,539 2.80
------------------------------------------------
Total 2,62,509 100
General Elections 1957 :- The experience
of the first General Elections in 1951-52 proved to be exceedingly useful in the
second General Elections in 1957. the latter elections in the State were,
however, attended in some respects with even greater difficulty than the first
General Elections. The area and the electorate involved had become much larger
with the merger of the erstwhile Pepsu and Punjab on 1 November 1956, whereas
the total period for the polls was reduced appreciably (i.e. 24 February to 14
March 1957). At the same time, the delimitation of the constituencies had to be
effected only a few weeks before the constituencies were called upon to elect
members, with the result that the necessary arrangements had to be rushed
through in the minimum time.
The
population of the Firozpur District (excluding the Moga and Muktsar tehsils
transferred to the Faridkot District in 1972) was 7,20,511 (1951 Census). The
total number of electors was 3,37,874. In accordance with the report of the
Delimitation Commission, 1 Lok Sabha Constituency and 5 Punjab Vidhan Sabha
Constituencies (including 1 double-member constituency) were allocated to the
District.
The Lok Sabha Constituency in the District was the
Firozpur Constituency. The candidate elected from it had affiliation with the
Congress. The number of votes by the different parties was as follows:
Name of Party Total number of Percentage
Votes polled
Indian National Congress 1,20,548 43.1
Communist Party of Indian 73,109 26.3
Bhartiya Jan Sangh 41.702 14.9
Independent 23,378 8.3
Praja Socialist Party 20,467 7.4
--------------------------------------------
The 5
Punjab Vidhan Sabha Constituencies in the District comprised 6 seats, there
being 1 double-member constituency and
one reserved for the Scheduled Castes. The
names of these constituencies were: Abohar, Fazlika, Guru Har Sahai, Firozpur
and Zira. Out of the 6 elected candidates,, 5 had affiliation with the Congress
and I with the Jan Sang. The number of votes polled by the different contesting
parties is given hereunder :
Name of Party Total number of Percentage
Votes polled
Indian National Congress 1,11,395 42,44
Communist Party of Indian 33,148 12.65
Bhartiya Jan Sangh 38,429 14.76
Independent 65,995 25.34
Praja Socialist Party 20,043 0.85
Scheduled Caste Federation 2,612 3.21
-------------------------------------------
General Elections, 1962 :- The entire poll
was conducted throughout the then Punjab State, except in the snow-bound Kulu and Seraj constituencies, on
a single day on 24 February 1962, both for the Lok Sabha and the Punjab Vidhan
Sabha.
The
Two-Member Constituencies (Abolition) Act, 1961, abolished the two-member
constituencies for the Vidhan Sabhas and the Lok Sabha. Under the Act, the Election Commission, India was empowered to divide
each of the two-member constituencies
into two single member- constituencies, delimit the extent, decide in which of
them the seat should be reserved for the Scheduled Castes and to amend and
revise the Delimitation of
Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies Order, 1961, issued on 7 December
1961. According to this order, in the present
Firozpur District, there was one Lok Sabha Constituency, i.e. the
Firozpur Constituency, and 6 Punjab Vidhan Sabha Constituencies, i.e. Abohar,
Fazlika, Guru Har Sahai, Firozpur Zira and Dharamkot (reserved for a member of
the Scheduled Castes Constituencies. Out of the total population of 8,79,599
(1961 Census) of the District, the Number of electors was 3,90,095.
LOK
SABHA CONSTITUENCIES
There
was one Lok Sabaha Constituency in the District i.e. Firozpur Constituency. The candidate elected from this
constituency had affiliation with the Congress. The total number of votes
polled by each of the contesting parties was as follows :
Name of Party Total number of Percentage
Votes polled
Indian National Congress 1,15,913 36.69
Shiromani Akali Dal 44,115 13.96
Bhartiya Jan Sangh 83,761 26.64
Communist Party of Indian 65,655 21.82
Independent 10,963 0.89
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The 6
Punjab Vidhan Sabha constituencies in the District were : Abohar, Fazlika, Guru
Har Sahai, Firozpur, Zira and Dharmkot (S.C.)
Out
of the 6 elected candidates from the above constituencies, I had affiliation
with the Congress, 2 with the Akali Dal (Master Group), 2 with the Jan Sang and
1 was Independent. The total number of valid votes polled in favour of each of
the contesting parties in the District was as follow :
Name of Party Total number of Percentage
Votes polled
Indian National Congress 95,476 39.48
Shiromani Akali Dal 49,130 20,32
(Master Group)
Bhartiya Jan Sangh 50,798 21.01
Independent, including other 46,427 19.19
Unrecognized parties
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General Elections, 1967 :- The General
Election held in 1967 were the fourth in the country and the first in the new
State of the Punjab, which came into being on 1 November 1966 after the
reorganization of the State. The constituencies delimited in 1965 were
subjected to delimitation, as notified by the Delimitation Commission In
November 1966. According to the present Firozpur District, there were 2 Lok
Sabha Constituencies and 8 Punjab Vidhan Sabha Constituencies. Out of the total
population of 8,79,599 (1961 Census) of the District, the number of electors
was 4,71,290. As was the case during the third General Elections in 19662, the
poll in 1967 was held throughout the State in a single day on 19 February 1967.
The
two Lok Sabha Constituencies in the District were Fazlika and Firozpur. The
candidate elected from the Fazlika Constituency had affiliation with the Congress, whereas that elected from the
Firozpur constituency had affiliation with the Akali Dal (Sant Group). The
total number of valid votes polled in favour of each of the contesting parties
in the District was as follows :
Name of Party Total number of Percentage
Votes polled
Indian National Congress 2,68,506 41.00
,
Shiromani Akali Dal 1,62,198 24.77
(Sant Group)
Communist Party of Indian 92,453 14.12
Bhartiya Jan Sangh 88,046 13.45
Independents 19,564 2.99
Shiromani Akali Dal 14,817 2.26
( Master Group)
Swatantra Party 9,273 1.41
--------------------------------------------