Doaba remains under-represented in cabinet

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, April 20

With the name of just a lone minister for the Punjab cabinet expansion announced from Doaba, the region still remains largely under-represented.

After heavyweight Kapurthala MLA Rana Gurjeet Singh had to step down from his portfolio of Power and Irrigation Minister, Doaba had lost its only representation in the cabinet. It was now being seen that during the proposed expansion, the region, which has given 15 out of 23 MLAs, would be represented by at least two ministers. The region now has just one minister again — Sunder Sham Arora, a low-profile second-time Hoshiarpur MLA, who is hardly seen at functions outside his district.

Among those who had been pinning high hopes were olympian, former Sports Director and MLA Pargat Singh (Jalandhar Cantonment), who had been expecting the Sports Minister portfolio. However, his hopes have been dashed as it was Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh whose choice perhaps prevailed upon the AICC.

Capt had not been happy with the way Pargat had made inroads into the Congress last year and remained adamant on getting the Jalandhar Cantonment ticket against his personal choice Jagbir Brar.

Capt’s close aide and two-time Sultanpur Lodhi legislator Navtej Cheema too had been expecting an elevation, which perhaps was not to the liking of ex-minister Rana. Three-time MLA Sangat Singh Gilzian (Urmur), too, was among the probables. Pargat sounded a bit low today, “It really does not matter if my name is not in the list. It’s okay with me.”

Jalandhar, which has had as many as six ministers (three Dalit faces) in the previous tenure from 2002-07, has for the first time in the last five decades not got any ministerial rank. The district currently has five Congress MLAs, three Akali and a vacant Shahkot seat. Of the five Jalandhar MLAs, only Pargat is a second-timer, his first tenure being as Akali MLA.