On CM’s bidding, Punjab Congress MLAs told to hear public grievances

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 9

Days after assigning duties to ministers to sit on a rotational basis at the Punjab Congress Bhawan and listen to party MLAs and leaders, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Thursday asked senior party leader Lal Singh and MLAs Surinder Kumar Dawar, Kushaldeep Dhillon and Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal to be present at the CM’s Sector 2 residence to hear public grievances.

In political circles, the move is being seen as a parallel set-up to counter the rush at the Punjab Congress Bhawan. The move comes even as five OSDs are already present at the CM’s residence.

Kushaldeep Dhillon, Faridkot MLA, was earlier appointed one of the six advisers to the CM in the rank of Cabinet Minister, but the appointment could not come through after then Governor VP Singh Badnore returned the Punjab State Legislature (Prevention of Disqualification) Amendment Bill, 2019, to the government, raising 13 queries pertaining

to duties and responsibilities, financial implications, legality and accountability of political appointees.

In the changed political equations amid the tussle between the CM and Navjot Singh Sidhu, Lal Singh, Dawar and Chabbewal have been siding with the CM, but Kushaldeep Dhillon has maintained a neutral approach.

One of the senior party leaders and a confidant of the CM, Lal Singh, who is also the chairman of the Punjab Mandi Board, has been asked to coordinate the work and assign duties to MLAs. In the orders issued by the CM, it has been pointed out that though the present set of officers appointed at the CM residence are doing their duty diligently, some of the visitors intended to see their political representatives.

Countering Sidhu?

Senior Congress leader Lal Singh and MLAs Surinder Kumar Dawar, Kushaldeep Dhillon and Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal have been directed to be present at Capt Amarinder Singh’s Sector 2 residence to hear public grievances. In political circles, the move is being seen as a parallel set-up to counter the rush at the Punjab Congress Bhawan.