Ministers' duel worries CM
by Gobind Thukral
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Dec 13 — The Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, is worried about the ever deteriorating relationship between the two ministers, handling the Food and Civil Supplies Department. The Food and Civil Supplies Minister, Mr Madan Mohan Mittal, a senior BJP leader who enjoys the status of a Cabinet Minister, has a running duel with the Minister of State for Food and Civil Supplies, Mr Chiranji Lal Garg, the lone Hindu Akali among the ministers. He feels hurt since he has no powers.

Mr Garg has repeatedly drawn the attention of his mentor, Mr Badal, to the conflict. Despite the Chief Minister’s efforts, the strain remains which has adversely affected the working of the department.

According to informed sources, the two often clash whenever their department is under discussion at the meetings of the council of ministers. “It is sickening to watch them fight”, a ministerial source said.

Mr Garg has prepared a detailed report as how corruption is eating away the good efforts of certain officers. The Chief Minister has also obtained comments of all the Additional Deputy Commissioners. The Chief Minister has all the details as how the department functions, the official sources pointed out.

In fact, not only Mr Garg but also certain Akali Ministers too are unhappy. The recent case is the report prepared by officers regarding distress sale of paddy during 1997-98 and later. This was reported in great detail by The Tribune and the government ordered a detailed study. When the study report was out, many cabinet ministers were up in arms. They questioned the wishy washy nature of the report. Mr Mittal was just cornered, a source pointed out.

Later, another Cabinet sub-committee with the Agriculture Minister, Mr Gurdev Singh Badal was formed to make an in-depth study and recommend how the marketing of agriculture produce could be improved. The idea is to help the producers and check malpractices and ensure that the advantage of minimum support price reached the farmers and is not pocketed by the unscrupulous traders, millers and officers. It would also look at the facilities and system in the Mandis. When shall this committee submit its report and the government acts is anyone’s guess.

Meanwhile, pressed hard by the sharp criticism by his colleagues, Mr Madan Mohan Mittal has stepped up his efforts to cleanse the Food and Civil Supplies Department. As a major step, he has asked all the 250 odd gazetted officers right from the joint director level down to file details of their assets by December end. These officers have to provide details regarding their property and bank balances and other assets ever since they joined the state service. “We are serious about the department’s working and its image. This step would help us”, Mr Mittal said.

Mr Mittal has also tightened his hold on the paddy millers. Earlier, there was no daily record of milling. Now each miller has to maintain a proper register countersigned by the District Food and Supply Controller. Details would also be available at the headquarters. Whatever paddy is given to each miller, he shall have to mill it and provide rice to the government as levy. In many cases, the millers just do not bother. They bribe the officials and sell the rice in open market at a premium. This deprives the government of its rightful levy. Mr Mittal admitted this malpractice, but asserted that he was determined to check it.