Dissent in Punjab Congress over market panel chiefs

Rajmeet Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 25

Congress leaders and MLAs are up in arms against their own government over the appointment of chairmen of market committees in Bathinda, Muktsar, Mansa, and other districts. After the outbreak of Covid, this is the third round of appointments in the market committees.

Some of the MLAs are upset over their choice of candidates not being appointed as chairmen. For the past two days, party leaders and MLAs are trying to convey their resentment to the Chief Minister. Led by a Cabinet Minister, some of the MLAs are expected to meet the Chief Minister tomorrow.

A senior party leader said in a classic case, Narinder Singh, son of former chairman of a block samiti during the previous Akali regime, had been appointed as the chairman of the market committee of Talwandi Sabo. In Malout, the appointment of Rashpal Singh has stirred a hornet’s nest. A senior contender for heading the Malout market committee, Bhupinder Singh, whose name had been recommended by the Deputy Speaker and Malout MLA Ajaib Singh Bhatti, resigned from the Malout block samiti on Thursday.

Sources in the party said some of the appointments had been made on the recommendations of Raninder Singh, son of the Chief Minister. Raninder was not available for a comment.

Similarly in Bathinda (Rural), the appointment of chairman of the market committee of Sangat town, Harmail Singh Ghudda, has not gone down well with party leader Harwinder Singh Laddi. In Bhucho Mandi, Muktsar, the chairman of the market committee, Goniana, has not been appointed as per the recommendation of Bhucho Mandi MLA Pritam Singh Kotbhai. “I have full faith in the Chief Minister. Whatever decision he takes will be for the betterment of the party,” Kotbhai said while refusing to comment on the controversy.

The leaders and MLAs are learnt to have approached PPCC chief Sunil Jakhar. “We are looking into the concerns of party leaders,” Jakhar said.