Six Cong MLAs appointed advisers, 5 in Cabinet rank

CHANDIGARH: In an apparent move to quell dissent within the party over handling of the Bargari sacrilege and police firing cases and to placate those upset over not given political posts, the Congress government on Monday appointed six MLAs as advisers to the Chief Minister, five in the rank and status of Cabinet Minister and one in the rank and status of Minister of State.

Kushaldeep Dhillon

Rajmeet Singh
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, September 9

In an apparent move to quell dissent within the party over handling of the Bargari sacrilege and police firing cases and to placate those upset over not given political posts, the Congress government on Monday appointed six MLAs as advisers to the Chief Minister, five in the rank and status of Cabinet Minister and one in the rank and status of Minister of State.

This will enable the six MLAs to enjoy the privileges and allowances enjoyed by the ministers, which is set to put extra financial burden on the cash-starved government.

A senior party leader privy to the move said four MLAs — Kushaldeep Singh Dhillon (Faridkot), Amrinder Singh Raja Warring (Gidderbaha), Sangat Singh Gilzian (Urmur) and Inderbir Bolaria (Amritsar) — have been appointed as adviser (political) in the rank and status of Cabinet Minister. Fatehgarh Sahib MLA Kuljit Nagra is adviser (planning) in rank and status of Cabinet Minister and Tarsem DC (Attari) adviser (planning) in the rank and status of minister of state.

In party meetings, these MLAs had been quite vocal against the government on sacrilege and other issues.

A senior government functionary said instead of appointing chief parliamentary secretaries, whose appointments were termed illegal in the previous SAD-BJP government, the MLAs have been appointed as advisers. Earlier, the government was planning to appoint MLAs as legislative secretaries through legislation. Previously appointed advisers in the government are not MLAs.

Though in discussion for the last few days, the appointments were through only after Chief Principal Secretary to the CM Suresh Kumar met the Capt Amarinder Singh to work out the modalities.

In case of the adviser (planning), the work of implementation and review of various government programmes and schemes has been divided.

The move is set to create heartburn among those MLAs who had been expecting appointment. There would be pressure on the government to adjust them as well.

Ajnala MLA Harpartap Ajnala has been left out. Jalandhar MLA Pargat Singh is learnt to have refused the post of adviser.

Sangat Singh Gilzian, an OBC leader, had resigned from party posts last year after being denied a Cabinet berth. Sources said the move was solely aimed at placating the MLAs.