Punjab Opposition leader Partap Singh Bajwa alleges privilege breach over officials’ no-show
After district officials of Gurdaspur failed to turn up for a meeting he had called as the Congress MLA for Qadian, Partap Singh Bajwa has requested Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan to refer the matter to the Assembly’s privilege committee.
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Partap Singh Bajwa. (FIle)Partap Singh Bajwa, leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, has alleged a breach of privilege after district officials of Gurdaspur failed to turn up for a meeting he had called as the Qadian MLA.
In a letter written to Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan, the Congress MLA wrote on Thursday, “A meeting of the district-level officers of the Rural Development and Panchayat Department as well as Public Works Department (B&R) was convened by me for 4th May, 2022 (Wednesday) at 11.00 A.M. at the office of the Block Development & Panchayat Officer, Dhariwal, District Gurdaspur and a notice dated 28th April, 2022 to that effect was also issued by my office to attend the same in time, for reviewing the progress of various ongoing development works in the jurisdiction of the Panchayat Samiti, Block Dhariwal, falling in my constituency. To ensure the receipt of this communication, my staff (private secretary/personal assistant) contacted officers of district Gurdaspur, Ravinder Pal Singh, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development) Sandeep Malhotra, District Development & Panchayat Officer, Sukhpal Singh, Executive Engineer (Panchayati Raj), Har Jot Singh, Executive Engineer, Public Works Department (B&R), Batala and Kirandeep Kaur, Block Development & Panchayat Officer, Dhariwal.”
Bajwa, also a former Rajya Sabha member, asked the speaker to refer the matter to the Assembly’s privilege committee.
“For the above purpose, I reached Qadian from Chandigarh on 3rd May, 2022. The next day, on 4th May, 2022, at 11.15 A.M. on arrival at the office of the Block Samiti, it transpired that none of the officers, except Harjot Singh, Executive Engineer, Public Works Department, had arrived for the said meeting. Upon this, again today, at 11.45 A.M., my Special Assistant, Shri Vishal Singh Chauhan, requested the above said officers via WhatsApp from his Mobile number to immediately rush for the above said meeting. However, I am constrained to bring it to your notice, without intimation of any reason, none of these officers responded. I along with the Chairperson and the Samiti Members kept waiting for the arrival of the officers till 1.00 after noon,” read the letter.
“Keeping in view the above facts, it is clear that the above-mentioned conduct of the officers has impaired my working as a representative of the people, particularly, as Leader of the Opposition and thereby caused a breach of my privilege. Therefore, I request you kindly to refer the matter to the Privilege Committee under Rule 235(1) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in The Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Punjab Legislative Assembly, for necessary action,” Bajwa wrote.
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