Don't rush to media after writing letters to CM, state minister asks party MP

Chandigarh, June 3

A day after Congress MP Partap Singh Bajwa raised the issue of unpaid dues of sugarcane growers in a letter to Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, Punjab Minister Brahm Mohindra on Wednesday asked him not to “rush to the media” after writing letters to the CM.

Don't rush to the media with your letters written to the CM, unless the issue of public interest raised by you in them are the last thing in your mind and your intention is something else, said the minister, in a swipe at the party MP.

Mohindra said as a loyal Congressman, Bajwa had full right to raise issues of public interest, but there is always a "proper way" to do things. 

Bajwa on Tuesday had accused his party's government in Punjab of not taking “concrete steps” to ensure outstanding payment of Rs 681.48 crore to cane growers.

In a letter to CM, Bajwa had claimed that around 70,000 sugarcane growers had not been paid their dues amounting to Rs 681.48 crore for the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons by the cooperative and private sugarmills.

Punjab minister for Local Bodies and Parliamentary Affairs, Brahm Mohindra on Wednesday said a letter to the CM should be addressed to the CM only and not to the media. 

“It is good that you have been flagging for the attention of the CM the issues of the public interest, but the letters addressed to the CM should ideally reach the CM directly and not through the media,” said Mohindra telling Bajwa that this did not convey the right message. 

You don't rush to the press with your letters addressed to the CM as it defeats the real purpose or may be your purpose is actually something else,” Mohindra said in a statement here.

Releasing letters to the media before dispatching it to the chief minister makes the motive and purpose of such letters obvious that the public concern raised in these letters is the last thing in the mind of the person, he further said.

Mohindra asked Bajwa to act as the spokesperson of the Punjab government and highlight great achievement by the state in fighting the COVID-19.

The minister pointed out that Punjab had the highest recovery rate of about 90 per cent while the death rate is less than two per cent. 

“This was despite a huge influx of NRIs and infected pilgrims all of whom were treated properly and have recovered completely,” he said, adding “this was possible only because our CM took the lead in imposing the lockdown and curfew ahead of the Centre and other state governments”. PTI

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