Vinod Ghai is new A-G

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 30

Putting an end to speculations, the Punjab Governor today appointed senior Punjab and Haryana High Court advocate Vinod Ghai as the Advocate-General.

• He is state’s 5th Advocate-General to be appointed in less than a year
• The post fell vacant after senior advocate Anmol Rattan Singh Sidhu stepped down

A notification was issued this morning. The post fell vacant after senior advocate Anmol Rattan Singh Sidhu stepped down from the post.

Ghai comes at a time when the list of law officers to be appointed in the Advocate-General’s office is to be finalised. The state had in March extended the contractual term of the existing law officers. The process of appointing law officers was initiated soon after. But the list has so far not been finalised.

Ghai is the fifth Advocate-General to be appointed by the state of Punjab in less than a year. Following the resignation of AG Atul Nanda after then CM Capt Amarinder Singh stepped down, senior advocate APS Deol was appointed in September last year. Deol, too, resigned from the post in November last year after which senior advocate Deepinder Singh Patwalia was appointed to the coveted post. Patwalia continued till the change of government in Punjab in March.

Ghai has already made it clear that he had no affiliation with any political party and was picked up by the AAP government purely on merit. Soon after taking over, Ghai asserted that the government was working towards a corruption-free state and he would try to ensure the continuation of the ideology in the legal system. Ghai said his office would soon issue instructions against seeking adjournments in matters involving the state, unless necessitated by compelling circumstances. Clear and to-the-point replies would be placed before the Bench in response to notices issued to the state. Proper coordination between the government functionaries and state law officers would be ensured for the purpose.

Ghai said the top priority of his office would be to render effective assistance to the Bench for bringing down the pendency of cases before the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The emphasis would be on the cases involving life and liberty, widows, retired employees and other senior citizens with the state as a party to the litigation.

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