Chandigarh, August 14, 2024 (Yes Punjab News)
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today said Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria’s meeting with administrative secretaries was against the spirit of federalism as enshrined in the constitution and amounted to direct interference in the internal affairs of the State by the union government.
It also advised chief minister Bhagwant Mann to set his house in order to avoid interference in State affairs by the Centre.
In a statement here, senior SAD leader Dr Daljit Singh Cheema said the new trend of Governors holding direct meetings of administrative officers of the State would result in a doubling in command and would be detrimental to the interests of the State. “Such meetings will also affect Centre-State relations”.
Asserting categorically that the SAD had always stood for more powers to the States, Dr Cheema said it was unfortunate that in recent years State governments were being subjugated by the centre and not being allowed to plan and implement their own State specific schemes.
“This has resulted in friction between the States and the centre in recent years and also resulted in misery for Punjabis with central funds in the health and education sector being withheld by the union government. We have also witnessed Punjab being denied it’s Rural Development Fund (RDF) dues besides unjust extension of Central control over the State’s border areas”.
Stating that there could not be two parallel governments in the State, one elected by the people of Punjab and another appointed by the union government, Dr Cheema said States should be allowed to run their own affairs.
He said this was all the more important in a border State like Punjab. “The entire responsibility for running the State should be with the elected government”, he added.
The SAD leader also requested the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government led by Bhagwant Mann to perform its constitutional duties and not give an opportunity to the centre to interfere in State affairs due to its ineptitude.
Dr Cheema said non performance issues like collapse of law and order in the State and the failure of the AAP government to acquire land for express highways raised by the Union Minister Mr Nitin Gadkari, if not addressed by the State government, would give further opportunities to the union government to interfere in its internal affairs.
“The chief minister should understand his failings and correct them immediately to ensure increasing interference in State affairs by the centre comes to an end”, Dr Cheema added. EOM
