Chandigarh May 12, 2020 (Yes Punjab News)
The Shiromani Akali Dal president Sardar Sukhbir Singh Badal today demanded the registration of FIR either against the Chief Secretary or against the Ministers on allegations of for corrupt conflict of interest in the liquor loot in the state.
He said that the people of Punjab must know the real issue behind the head-on collision between the state Chief Secretary and the ministers and Congress leaders accusing the senior officer of being “corrupt and arrogant.”
“ Instead of making a laughing stock of the high constitutional institutions of the cabinet and of the Chief Secretary, time has come for taking a concrete legal view and penal follow up on allegations of liquor loot being exchanged freely in full public view. “
Mr Badal said that when the world and the country were engaged in a life and death war against Coronavirus, the Punjab ministers are fighting only on loot money from liquor. “That is why the debate in the country is about home delivery of food and essential goods, the Punjab ministers are debating home delivery of liquor.”
Mr Badal said that the Congress leaders are trying to “legalise” the illegal home delivery of liquor which has been going on through the lockdown. He said that it was surprising that the state government has not held a single cabinet meeting on fulfilling the needs of the farmers, labourers, shopkeepers, employees, business, trade and industry. The only cabinet meetings it had held are on liquor policy. That shows the priorities of the government.
He said that this Congress government is being controlled by the liquor mafia. He said it was mysterious that ministers who opposed the excise policy on the first day later suddenly agreed to the same policy and agreed to authorise the CM. He said it is as if the agenda
of the cabinet had been “put on an open auction” .
The policy it seems was opposed by ministers only to put pressure on the contractors to “ give ministers their share of the slice in liquor loot. The ministers agreed to pass the agenda only after “getting their due from the contractors.”
Addressing media persons here, the SAD Chief said that the Congress government should stop making fools of the people by demanding the removal of the CS. “If the CS is guilty, then it cannot stop merely at his removal from office.
Then, the government must dare to dismiss him, and book him under the relevant provisions of law. But if, conversely, the ministers are angry with him because he is opposing their corruption, then the minister or ministers must be sacked immediately, booked and tried in a court of law.
It is not a family affair that things can be sorted by someone refusing to sit with someone or the other. Only a legal course can remove confusion and deliver justice to the people and end this ugly drama,” said the former Deputy CM.
Mr Badal also expressed ‘grave concern’ over the situation in the state, saying that “ Punjab govt is at war with itself leading to an “utter collapse of the government machinery. The state has never seen anything like this in the past 70 years, not even during the days of militancy ” said the SAD Chief.
He said that at the core of this collapse Is a brazen ‘liquor loot’ and a fight over spoils as ministers, officers and Congress leaders are seen fighting like vultures over spoils in the mafia money.How can the state exchequer have any money left for development and people’s welfare when those in charge of it feel no “shame” in making a public spectacle of themselves in fighting over spoils?
He said that because of this complete administrative paralysis in the govt, Punjab is heading towards complete anarchy and lawlessness. This is extremely worrying in the light of reports of Congress leaders links with dangerous elements who are out to disturb peace in the state. “This situation is tailor made for those who want to disturb peace and communal harmony in the state.”
Talking about the ministers-bureaucrat confrontation in the state,Mr Badal asked ministers to stop making a laughing stock of themselves and behaving like ill mannered kindergarten children with petty ego refusing to sit with this or that officer and should come clean on what exactly is their complaint against the officer. “But the issue seems to be much more than ego. It is about corruption, and the CM needs to take a call one way or the other.”
If a minister or ministers genuinely believe that the Chief Secretary has indulged in corrupt malpractices, then the only option before them ( the ministers) is to register an FIR on corruption charges against the Chief Secretary. Conversely, if the minister or ministers are guilty of some filthy deeds which the Chief Secretary is opposing, then the ministers too deserve to booked on corruption charges and be tried in a court of law.”
The former Deputy CM said that the ministers conduct has turned the state into a headless state and there is a complete administrative paralysis as the Chief Minister faces an open revolt by his colleagues.
“ What kind of a government do we have in which even the Chief Minister’s power and prerogative to choose his officers is being challenged openly by his ministers and even by the state unit party chief.”
Mr Badal said what Punjab is witnessing is either a coup or “a war of succession even when their leader is still around. This comes when the party in power stares at a certain defeat in the next assembly poll.”
On extension of lockdown, Mr Badal said the government should prepare a road map for gaed opening of the economic activity. He said that the economic activity in the state had to be restarted opened.Farmers, farm labour, trade and industry had to be given priority.
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