Punjab MLAs question Local Government working

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 13

As the functioning of the Local Government Department and pending public-oriented decisions came in for criticism from some of the legislators at a meeting with PCC president Navjot Singh Sidhu, his newly appointed adviser Malwinder Singh Mali came under attack from two ministers and some MLAs over his recent comments on the social media against CM Capt Amarinder Singh and the Hindu community. Sidhu had convened the meeting of ministers and MLAs representing urban Assembly segments.

Sidhu, who took over as the new chief of the Punjab Congress last month, had picked Mali as one of his four advisers last Wednesday. Representing the Hindu community, the leaders questioned Mali's locus standi in commenting on the community, which had been the backbone of the Congress in the urban areas.

Minister absent

I was busy meeting protesting employees at the time and had conveyed this to the PCC chief’s office. — Brahm Mohindra, Local Govt Minister

Among those who spoke on the issue were ministers Sunder Sham Arora and Bharat Bhushan Ashu, besides Ludhiana MLA Vijay Dabar and former Batala MLA Ashwani Sekhri.

Sekhri is learnt to have pointed out that Mali's remarks against the CM had not gone down well with party workers. He also pointed out that Mali should work in tandem with the CM, instead of attacking party men, it is learnt. Ministers Ashu and Arora pointed to frequent remarks made by Mali on the social media regarding the community. After CM's recent meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Mali had in his Facebook post said: "Punjabis beware! Signals from the trio of Capt, Shah and Modi to create communal tension, fear and terror are alarm bells for Punjabis and farmers. CM has handed over his agenda to the Centre."

Local Government Minister Brahm Mohindra, who was at another meeting, and Medical Education and Research Minister OP Soni stayed away. Health Minister Balbir Sidhu left after a short while. Food & Civil Supplies Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu and Industries Minister Sunder Sham Arora attended the meeting. During the three-hour deliberations, Sidhu along with working presidents Pawan Goyal and Kuljit Singh Nagra formulated party's strategy to resolve issues related to the urban areas.

Core issues touched at the meeting included disconnection of electricity meters, outstanding water bills, regularisation of buildings and plots under one-time settlement for residential and commercial buildings, extending the scheme for regularisation of colonies and easing burden of NOC for registration of property. A party leader said: "Since the issues pertained to the Local Government Department, the minister concerned should have been present to update the MLAs regarding their concerns." Some MLAs demanded 300 units of free power to all domestic consumers, 24-hour supply, besides lowering tariff to Rs 3 per unit for domestic consumers and Rs 5 for commercial and industrial consumers. The MLAs advised Sidhu to take up the issues with the state government.