Bhagwant Mann creates temporary advisory panel, Congress says ‘outsourcing governance’

Multiple sources privy to development said that the committee has been formed with such terms of reference so that a Rajya Sabha member can be appointed as its chairperson without violating the office of profit rule, under which a parliamentarian or a legislator cannot take up an assignment of a chairperson.

With the constitution of the committee, its chairperson would be able to be a part of official meetings and give his advice to the government on paper.

The notification read: “Chief Minister of Punjab has undertaken review of working of government at various levels and is of the view that a body (temporary in nature) is required to tender advice to the Government of Punjab on matters of public importance pertaining to Public Administration. Therefore, it has been decided to constitute a temporary Committee to advise the Government of State of Punjab on matters of public Importance pertaining to Public Administration as and when such advice is sought from it.”

As per the notification, the terms of reference are that temporary and ad hoc committee would be advisory in nature. “The Committee shall consist of a Chairman and such other members, If any, who may be required from time to time, as appointed by the Government,” it adds.

Also, the Committee will serve during the pleasure of the CM of Punjab. The office of Chairman and members, if any, will not be entitled for any compensation, remuneration or perks of any kind or nomenclature in respect of such appointment. They shall not even be entitled to payments that are compensatory in reimbursements.

The government would be issuing terms of appointments separately in respect of the individual appointments of chairman and each of the members.

Meanwhile, state Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring Friday questioned the legality of the proposed committee and asked the government to “specify and spell out the motive and purpose behind this committee”.
“Or you want to outsource the governance to an adhoc committee without any legal or constitutional mandate,” Warring asked CM Mann.

He said that in the past the governments have set up advisory committees, but these were with specific and limited period and purpose and did not have overarching control and authority like the one that is being proposed to be set up by the government.

“If adhoc advisory committee has to be appointed, what is Cabinet there for? Or AAP wants to outsource governance,” Warring asked, adding that there are “strong apprehensions among people that the elected government will be made subordinate and subservient to the proposed committee, which cannot be acceptable in a constitutional democracy”.
Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa too questioned the move saying Mann will appoint a Delhi-based AAP leader nominated to Rajya Sabha from Punjab as its chairman.

“It is a direct reflection of the incapability of the CM to protect the interests of every Punjabi,” Bajwa said in a written statement.

“In a roundabout fashion, the AAP government in Delhi now has a legitimate way to take control of governing Punjab, further reinforcing the image that the CM is now a subservient puppet of the Chief Minister of Delhi,” said Bajwa.