OP Soni loses Environment portfolio

Ruchika M Khanna & Rajmeet Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 20

Punjab minister OP Soni has been divested of the Environment portfolio. He will, however, continue to hold the charge of School Education. A rather insipid Food Processing Department has been given to Soni in exchange for the department taken away.

The minor reshuffle in the Cabinet comes within days of Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh meeting Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

Though the CM did not give any reason for the withdrawal of the “plum” portfolio (Environment) from Soni, sources said he decided to do so following a large number of complaints against the minister.

When contacted, Soni said: “The Environment Department is bound to take action against industrial units which do not meet pollution norms. I have not been downgraded, rather I’ve been given a bigger responsibility.”

When Soni was inducted into the Cabinet in April, he was given the charge of School Education only. 

After he expressed dismay, he was given the portfolio of Environment Department too. The immediate trigger for the portfolio being taken away from him appears to be the complaints made to the CM by the son of a serving IAS officer, who runs a unit at Dera Bassi, this evening itself.

The industrialist, accompanied by some others, met the CM at the cremation ground in Manimajra, where the CM had gone to attend the last rites of his Secretary (Political), Karan Pal Singh Sekhon. The industrialists reportedly complained to the CM that an officer in the Environment Department (learnt to be close to the minister), who was transferred to Dera Bassi recently, had been harassing them. Sources in the CMO said some Ludhiana-based industrialists had also complained of “harassment” by Environment Department officials and the CM had summoned Soni to his residence recently to convey his “displeasure” over the department’s functioning.

There had also been complaints against the minister by certain brick-kiln owners, who had alleged “malafides” in the Environment Department orders as regards closing down of brick-kilns in winters.