Congress MLA Fatehjung Bajwa declines Punjab govt’s job offer for son

Rajmeet Singh
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, June 23

In what is being seen as a damage control move for the Congress party, MLA Fatehjung Singh Bajwa has given in writing to the party high command that he does not require a government job for his son, Arjun Bajwa.

The Punjab MLA’s son was recently given a job of an Inspector in a Cabinet meeting.

It is learnt that the Punjab affairs in charge Harish Rawat was asked to call the MLA, asking him to give in writing that he did not require the job.

The MLA who yesterday went to Delhi, gave in writing to Rawat in this regard.

The issue of offering jobs to the MLA’s son has become a major embarrassment for the party.

Recently the PPCC chief, Sunil Jakhar, and other senior leaders opposed the decision to give jobs to sons of party MLAs Fatehjung Bajwa and Rakesh Pandey.

The decision to give appointments on “compassionate ground” was taken at a Cabinet meeting yesterday.

At least five ministers Charanjit Channi, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Tript Bajwa, Sukhbinder Sarkaria and Razian Sultaan had strongly opposed the move during the Cabinet meeting.

Cautioning that the party would be accused of promoting nepotism, Jakhar had said, “Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh must reverse the ill-advised decision.”

Fatehgarh Sahib MLA Kuljit Nagra had said the people’s representatives must work for the people and not for personal gains.

“The Cabinet should rollback the decision. We should meet the promise of ‘ghar ghar naukri’ instead of giving jobs to the kin of MLAs who don’t need it,” he had said.

Gidderbaha MLA Amrinder Singh Raja Warring appealed to the MLAs not to accept the jobs being offered to their sons.

“It would amount to cheating with the common man.”