AAP leaders’ kin inaugurate projects in violation of Union Government norms
Senior officials admit that they are helpless to stop this practice
The ruling AAP dispensation has now allowed kin of unconstitutional halqa in-charges to inaugurate projects funded by the Central Government even as senior officials admit that they are helpless to stop this practice and covertly term the development as “blatant violation of the Union Government norms.”
Halqa in-charges are those leaders who lost the 2022 Assembly elections, but have been asked by the state government to administratively govern the same people who voted against them.
Lokesh Mani, son of Dinanagar halqa in-charge Shamsher Singh, inaugurated the Ayushman Arogya Kendra near the Veterinary Hospital. Officials bent backwards to welcome him and get themselves photographed.
A livid Dinanagar MLA and Deputy Leader of Opposition Aruna Chaudhary petitioned the Chief Secretary, Health Secretary, Director (Health), Gurdaspur Civil Surgeon and ADC (Development) asking them to inquire into the matter at the earliest. She has also written to Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa informing him that his letter to the Deputy Commissioner (DC) is not being paid heed to.
Bureaucrats admit that they were under pressure from their political bosses not to stop this practice although many termed it as “totally illegal.”
A senior official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said, “What can we do when our Chandigarh-based bosses do not mind such practices. We have brought these violations to their notice, but nobody listens.”
The state government is telling all and sundry through its public relations department that Arogya Kendras are actually the AAP Clinics.
Randhawa had recently written to the DC asking him not to allow such anomalies. “Earlier, halqa in-charges used to inaugurate ventures. Now, their kin have started doing so. Is this not a mockery of rules?” asked the MP.
Rule states that the name of the MP concerned should be on the inscription plaque whenever a Central Government project is inaugurated, but it is not being followed.
