Once Tech Edu Minister, Kaypee settles for chairman of its board

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 20

Having held the post of Technical Education Minister about 17 years back, Mohinder Singh Kaypee seems to have relented with the post of chairman of the Punjab State Board of Technical Education and Industrial Training. His appointment letter was issued by the Principal Secretary of the Technical Education, Anurag Verma.

Even as political and bureaucratic circles were abuzz that a seasoned politician like Kaypee, who has been Jalandhar MP, Punjab Pradesh Congress chief and also the Minister for Welfare of SCs and BCs, would got a better responsibility in the party, the Congress leader said that he was contended with the charge of a board chairman. “I am happy to take the responsibility given to me by the Chief Minister. I have been getting congratulatory messages since morning and even now I am in the midst of celebrations by party workers,” he said, seemingly quite upbeat.

In April this year when the Congress high command denied him ticket as Jalandhar MP, he had termed it as his “political murder”. He said the party had forgotten the sacrifices made by his father Darshan Singh Kaypee, a Congress leader, who was killed during militancy. Ahead of elections to the Parliament, he tried to form a group with other seasoned Dalit leaders, who remained disillusioned, including Rajya Sabha member Shamsher S Dullo, ex-MP Santosh Chawdhary and others. But later, Capt Amarinder Singh visited his place to placate him.

It was since then that Kaypee had been expecting some adjustment from the party. Today, as the announcement came, he and his supporters were upbeat while other political leaders were heard taking a jibe at him over settling for something smaller than he deserved. “How can a political leader be happy at his regression,” said a SAD leader while another said, “Technical Education has all gone to one family.” Minister Charanjit Channi’s nephew is wedded to the incumbent Technical Board chairman’s daughter.

Like Kaypee, another ex-minister from the region and three-time Cabinet Minister Joginder Singh Mann, too, has been appeased with the post of chairmanship of Punjab Agro Industries Corporation. Mann has held the portfolio of PWD Minister, Labour and Employment Minister, Minister for Elections and Minister for Welfare for SC, BC and Women during the tenures of Beant Singh, Harcharan Brar, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal and first tenure of Capt Amarinder Singh. Cabinet Minister Sham Sunder Arora is learnt to have pursued the case of Mann, who had been upset over denial of ticket during the recent Phagwara Assembly bypoll.

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