Aujla accuses AAP govt of withholding Central grants

Member of Parliament from Amritsar, Gurjeet Singh Aujla, has launched a scathing attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab, accusing them of misusing power. Aujla said that several sarpanches owing allegiance to the opposition parties have brought to his attention that the state government was deliberately withholding development grants sanctioned by the Central Government under the Finance Commission recommendations. Calling it extremely unfortunate, he said that Finance Commission grants are not based on any party, faction or particular ideology, but are the legal and constitutional right of every sarpanch elected by the people.

The MP alleged that the ruling party was targeting sarpanches from the opposition parties to pressure them into joining the Aam Aadmi Party. “In some places, sarpanches are being harassed unnecessarily, while in others, funds for development works are being withheld, hindering the progress of villages,” he said, terming it as a form of ‘dictatorship’.

Aujla, who is currently in Delhi, had raised this issue at a press conference also a few days back.

Warning the officials concerned, Aujla also spoke to the Deputy Commissioner, Additional Deputy Commissioner and District Development and Panchayat Officer (DDPO), asserting that if this bias is not checked immediately, he will take the entire matter to the Privilege Committee of Parliament and the High Court. He made it clear that strict legal action will be taken against any officer who becomes a part of this discriminatory politics.