Capt to take Dalits, Hindus, OBCs in expanded Cabinet

Ruchika M Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 6

To be expanded in the first week of June, the Punjab Cabinet will be a heady cocktail of caste, religion and region. Besides the inclusion of eight more ministers, the post of Deputy Speaker too fill be filled.Other than the CM, the Punjab Cabinet can have 17 ministers. The Capt Amarinder Singh-led Congress government already has nine ministers, two of them Ministers of State.At least two MLAs from the Dalit community, two from upper caste Hindus and one representing OBCs will join the Cabinet. The rest of the slots will go to Jat Sikhs. An MLA each from Ludhiana and Doaba and two from Amritsar will be allotted a berth.Of these new entrants, at least two will be young faces. The Congress high command in Delhi, during the swearing-in in March, had asked Amarinder Singh to “consider having younger faces in his team.” Having taken senior MLAs and women legislators in the ministry already, the CM is now expected to give representation to the youth brigade in the first Cabinet expansion. There is little doubt that the only person whose word will count in this exercise will be the CM himself. That is why most berth hopefuls are flocking to the CM rather than rushing to Delhi.Sources in the Punjab Government say the caste, religion and region dynamics have been worked out and the candidates are expected to be selected by the month-end. Among the hopefuls are Raj Kumar Verka, Surjit Singh Dhiman, OP Soni, Rakesh Panday, Vijay Inder Singla, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Randeep Singh Nabha, Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria, Darshan Singh Brar, Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi, Sangat Singh Gilzian and Ajaib Singh Bhatti.The Cabinet expansion is to be done within a month, well before the Budget session. The government has decided to keep the appointment of 20 parliamentary secretaries and one chief parliamentary secretary on hold till then. The Punjab Chief Parliamentary Secretary and Parliamentary Secretary (Appointment, Salaries, Allowance Power, Privileges and Amenities) Bill is ready. But the government, wary of such appointments being challenged, is in no rush.

Among the hopefuls

• Raj Kumar Verka, Surjit Singh Dhiman, OP Soni, Rakesh Panday, Vijay Inder Singla, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Randeep Singh Nabha, Sukhbinder Sarkaria, Darshan Singh Brar, Rana Gurmeet Sodhi, Sangat Singh Gilzian and Ajaib Singh Bhatti

Jakhar’s comeback

Punjab Congress head faces many challenges

THE Congress high command has done rather well in naming Sunil Jakhar as head of the Punjab Congress, as Capt Amarinder Singh, on becoming Chief Minister, could not possibly continue to don the party hat as well. Jakhar, a three-term MLA, had lost from Abohar in the last Assembly elections, and the Cabinet that formed was thus deprived of a serious talent. Jakhar made a competent leader of the Congress Legislature Party in the last assembly and worked companionably with Capt Amarinder Singh once he took over as Punjab Congress chief. The party high command had, obviously, no problem in accepting the Chief Minister’s proposal that Jakhar take over the organisation’s burden. Jakhar is the right man for the job. Being a Hindu, he helps the party reburnish its secular credentials. An educated, approachable, veteran politician he may well be, but Jakhar faces some tough challenges. Although the party won handsomely in the elections, its organisational health is far from robust. Being in the wilderness for a decade, followed by an abrupt reversal of fortunes, makes it difficult to summon the discipline and diligence to tone up for the next challenge: the 2019 parliamentary elections. Jakhar had made a positive impact on both sides of the aisle as the Leader of the Opposition earlier. As state Congress chief, he can help the Chief Minister rein in MLAs and other functionaries, whose muscle-flexing has led to a spate of violent incidents in the past few weeks; even ministers have overstepped their brief. Apart from what Jakhar does, his very appointment has sent a clear message down the party chain in the state that it is Capt Amarinder Singh who shall have the last word on all party matters. His success will be critically dependent on his ability to resist the ancient rites of factionalism as also his willingness to hammer out a working relationship with the Chief Minister. If the Congress manages to give Punjab a modicum of coherent and purposeful governance, the impact will be felt beyond Punjab. Jakhar’s task is cut out for him.

Medical college head in spot over pvt practice

PK Jaiswar

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 6

The Vigilance Bureau today nabbed Dr BS Bal, principal of Government Medical College, for allegedly indulging in private practice at his home in Amritsar.According to information, a vigilance team raided his residential complex at around 8.30 am. Navjot Singh, DSP (Vigilance), said it had received an anonymous complaint that Dr Bal was indulging in private practice. A trap was laid and he was caught. At the time, around 8-10 patients were at his residential clinic, he added. The vigilance took prescriptions slips from all patients as evidence.The DSP said a report would be sent to the Secretary, Medical Education, for necessary departmental action against him. However, no case had been registered by the vigilance against him, he added.A teacher said as per a Supreme Court order, the vigilance could not arrest a government doctor indulging in private practice. It can only write to the government and department concerned for action. Dr Bal termed the incident as politically motivated to remove him. Saying all patients were planted by the vigilance, he said he was leaving for the college when some people insisted that he check the patients and forcibly handed over money as fees. He said he had informed the higher authorities in this connection.

Residents felicitate MLA for accepting demands

Tribune News Service

Mandi Ahmedgarh, May 6Office-bearers and activists of various social, commercial and religious organisations felicitated the legislator Surjit Singh Dhiman for the initiatives taken by him for welfare of the residents during a function at Gurdwara Singh Sabha at Railway road here today.Dhiman said getting the pending demands of the residents fulfilled was his duty. He said Chief Minister Caption Amarinder Singh had assured him to send the required grants for new projects and the completion of the pending works.“When residents have elected me to represent the segment, it becomes my duty to get all demands accepted,” said Dhiman.Earlier, office-bearers of the Vishwakarma Mandir Management Committee, Jassa Singh Welfare Society, Gurdwara Parbadhak Committee, Ahmedgarh Municipal Council, Vishwakarma Iron and Steel Implements Manufacturers’ Association, and Rotary Club felicitated Dhiman and his associates by presenting mementoes.

Patwari caught accepting Rs 30,000 as bribe

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana May 6

The Vigilance Bureau arrested a patwari red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 30,000.He has been identified as Ravinder Kumar and was employed in Daba area.The patwari was arrested after Neelam Rani, a resident of Daba, apprised the vigilance officials that the patwari was demanding bribe for the mutation of their land. Considering the complaint seriously, vigilance officials laid a trap and arrested the accused red-handed.SSP Vigilance Bureau Range Rupinder Singh said the complainant had filed an application in the office of the Tehsildar Central for the mutation of land and the accused patwari was creating hurdles in the completion of formalities. The SSP said the accused was demanding Rs 50,000 bribe, but the deal was finally struck at Rs 30,000, adding that accordingly the vigilance sleuths laid a trap to arrest the accused.The SSP appealed to the residents that if any government official demands bribe from them, they should inform the Vigilance Bureau. The incident took place in the presence of Divleen Kaur, SDA GLADA, and Pardeep Singh Tiwana, Agricultural Development Officer, Ludhiana. A case under Sections 7, 13(2) 88 of the PC Act was registered against the accused.

Loan waiver right, not enough: Cong

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 5

A day after the Congress slammed the government for waiving off only part of the loans to be paid by Uttar Pradesh farmers, party vice-president Rahul Gandhi today said the development was a step in the right direction, but not enough.“The Congress supports loan waiver for farmers, but this is only a partial relief. The Centre Government must respond to ease distress of farmers across the country,” he said.He, however, qualified his remarks saying the loan waiver was a step in the right direction. Referring to the national farm loan waiver of over Rs 70,000 crore during the UPA regime, he said the Congress had always supported easing financial stress on farmers.“The Congress has always supported loan waivers for farmers in distress. I am happy the BJP has finally been forced to see reason. But let us not play politics with our farmers who are suffering across the country. The Centre must have a national response to the widespread distress and not discriminate against states,” he said asking for a pan-India waiver.