Ministers target Chief Secy

Rajmeet Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 18

The Cabinet meeting on Tuesday witnessed fireworks with ministers targeting Punjab Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh for allegedly not implementing the decisions taken either by the Chief Minister or the Cabinet. The Advocate General (AG) too faced ministers’ ire for allegedly not safeguarding interests of the state in legal matters.

The development comes days after state Congress chief Sunil Jakhar took on key government functionaries for acting as an impediment in fulfilling the pre-poll promises made by the party.

Raising the issue, Cooperation and Jails Minister Sukhjinder Randhawa is learnt to have pointed out that despite getting Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh’s clearance for his proposed five-day visit to Gulfood 2020 being held in Dubai, he was allegedly denied permission by the Chief Secretary. As a result, the hotel booking and air tickets had to be cancelled at the last minute before he was to leave on February 16.

The ministers are learnt to have questioned the authority of the Chief Secretary, when the approval of the CM had been given. The issue of privileges enjoyed by bureaucrats vis-a-vis the ministers was also pointed out. The CM is learnt to have expressed concern over the issue.

The issue of the alleged delay being caused by the Chief Secretary in setting up and expansion of sugar mills at Gurdaspur and Batala and delay in payments of the farmers by the cooperative sugar mills was also raised.

When Randhawa raised the issue of the AG, other ministers Brahm Mohindra, Bharat Bhushan Ashu and Gurpreet Kangar also spoke on it.

AG Atul Nanda said he cannot comment on what Randhawa said in the meeting. He denied that any other minister spoke against him. “I have guarded the interest of the state in the Bargari case. I was sent the file of the coal washing case only in December 2019”.

The issue of Cabinet ministers and Congress MLAs being denied rooms in the A-block of Punjab Bhawan in Delhi was also discussed. Terming it disrespect to the “lawmakers”, action was sought against officials. It was pointed out that on the complaint of some MLAs, Speaker Rana KP Singh had pulled up officials concerned.

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