Chandigarh 14 may ( wishavwarta )-Khaira says the current deadlock between bureaucracy and politicians has clearly shown that Congress Ministers and MLA’s have no value or say in their own government.
In a hard hitting statement released here today Sukhpal Singh Khaira MLA and former Leader of Opposition made a scathing attack on the autocratic functioning of Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh and his cronie bureaucrats. Khaira said although he supported the demand made by 12 Congress MLA’s seeking CBI probe against their own Chief Secretary regarding his conflict of interest in the liquor trade but it has clearly exposed that elected representatives have no value in the feudal government of Capt. Amarinder Singh.
Khaira said it has been more than three days now since all cabinet Ministers handed out an ultimatum to their Chief Minister that “he can either keep us or the Chief Secretary” but the CM has thrown his weight behind the top bureaucrat. Khaira said by keeping Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh by his side on Monday itself during his video conferencing with Prime Minister Modi, Capt. Amarinder Singh had made it abundantly clear that he prefers his bureaucrat over his cabinet colleagues. Khaira said thereafter all Capt. Amarinder Singh did was to divest the Chief Secretary of the department of Excise and Taxation which is nothing but merely an eye wash. This clearly shows that the CM is unwilling to budge to the demand of his cabinet colleagues and that he will run the government through his blue eyed “babus” like the last three years, said Khaira.
Khaira said apart from other issues the demand of Congress MLA’s seeking CBI probe, has also shown that they have no faith in the investigating agencies of the state including Punjab police, Vigilance Bureau etc. In other words Congress MLA’s lack confidence in their Chief Minister too, stated Khaira.
Khaira said it has also become clear why the Congress government shied away from bringing the Conflict of Interest law despite having it as a star promise in their election manifesto in 2017, probably because Capt. Amarinder Singh did not want to disarm himself of the weapon to shield corrupt bureaucrats and politicians.
Khaira urged Ministers, PPCC President and Congress MLA’s that now it was a litmus test of their credibility on this deadlock, in case they budge and allow the Chief Secretary to scott free after making such serious allegations, it would be presumed that they too are part and parcel of the corrupt system and are afraid to call spade a spade. Khaira said they should stand firm on their demands to rid Punjab of corruption and the rule of “babus”.
Khaira said Punjab was fast loosing excise revenue because of a parallel illegal liquor trade in the state and blatant smuggling of liquor by powerful politicians like Rana Gurjeet Singh MLA and Deep Malhotra Ex MLA etc. owing distilleries, thus he urges the government to widen the scope of CBI inquiry and include the “loot” of state exchequer by liquor mafia and the said powerful politician distillery owners.
