Chief Secretary apologises, Punjab logjam ends

Rajmeet Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 27

The face-off between Punjab ministers and Chief Secretary (CS) Karan Avtar Singh has ended with the officer apologising at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh at the Civil Secretariat here today. Senior Congress leaders, including PPCC Chief Sunil Jakhar, had flayed the bureaucracy’s “complete control over governance” in the state.

Finance Minister Manpreet Badal called it a win for democracy. “In a democratic set-up, elected representatives have more say and importance than the bureaucracy”, he underlined. The CM is learnt to have spoken of the officer’s unblemished career and his retirement in August. Earlier in the day, the Chief Secretary visited the residence of Local Bodies Minister Brahm Mohindra.

Manpreet told his colleagues it was the third time that the Chief Secretary had apologised.“Everyone makes mistakes. Let bygones be bygones”. Technical Education Minister Charanjit Channi said the Chief Secretary had approached him twice to apologise. Manpreet also said the Chief Secretary had given it in writing that his son had no stake in the liquor business.

Minister Sukhjinder Randhawa is learnt to have raised the issue of the Transport Department issuing notices over “illegal extension” of bus routes to companies run by Congress leaders, sparing those run by SAD leaders, including the Badal family.

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