Govt names PPSC members, Khaira calls it arbitrary

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 22

The state government today cleared the names of six persons for appointment as members of the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) and two of the Right to Information Commission. The names have been cleared despite objections raised by Leader of Opposition Sukhpal Singh Khaira. These will now be sent to the Punjab Governor for his final approval.

Those selected for appointment as PPSC members are Gurpratap Singh Mann, son of BKU leader Bhupinder Singh Mann; Jamit Kaur Teji; Supreet Singh Ghumman, son of a close friend of Preneet Kaur; Lok Nath Angra and APS Virk, both retired officers of Punjab cadre; and Neelam Grewal, a dean at PAU.

Those selected for the Right to Information Commission are Khushwant Singh, biographer of Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, and Sanjeev Garg, a close confidant of the Patiala royal family.

The matter was taken up in a meeting attended by Amarinder, Speaker Rana KP, Forest Minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot and Khaira.

Khaira later issued a press release, alleging that he was saddened that the CM had taken the majoritarian route instead of consensus for the appointments. “I had registered my dissenting note against undeserving candidates, but the government went ahead with pre-decided names, throwing the court directions to the wind. I will make more details public tomorrow,” he said.