Action sought against ‘partisan officers’

Kharar, January 12

Kharar MLA Kanwar Sandhu has demanded stringent action against those officers who have been attending meetings called by politicians who have no official locus standi.

Notably, a meeting was called by Jagmohan Singh Kang, former Kharar MLA and Congress leader, here on Wednesday which was attended by many officers, including Kharar SDM Amninder Kaur Brar.

In a letter to Punjab Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh today, the Kharar MLA said if this unconstitutional practice was allowed to be continued, it would wreck the system of governance and electoral politics. He has marked a copy of the letter to Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh who, he said, had assured some of the MLAs when they met him in his chamber during the last Assembly session that such meetings would not be allowed.

Sandhu said though such meetings had become a regular practice, especially in Kharar Constituency, he referred to one specific meeting called by former Kharar MLA and ex-minister Jagmohan Singh Kang on Wednesday. “In what capacity was this meeting called by a former MLA? Obviously, this was called to draw political mileage. How could these officers become party to this exercise? If it was an all-party meeting, how were other parties and the sitting MLA not invited,” Kanwar Sandhu asked.

The MLA said he was surprised that the politician in question, who had been a minister, was indulging in this impropriety. “Obviously, he is unable to accept his defeat in the last polls and is doing all this to make his presence felt,” Sandhu told the media.

The MLA said this trend appeared to be prevalent in some other districts as well.

The office of the CS has reportedly marked the letter to the Personnel Department “to take appropriate action within a stipulated time”. — OC