Mock session ends,renames SAD Saala Behnoi Patni party

“We did not pack up our bags but raised issues confronting Punjab with sharper focus. In fact,our MLAs may not have been so earnest inside as they were during the mock sessions,” Leader of Opposition Sunil Jakhar said while thanking the “media for covering the mock sessions” and the MLAs for their sincerity. The attendence of MLAs,which was nearly 40 out of 46 on many days of the mock Assembly,Monday fell to 32.

Sporting black badges,the Congress MLAs held placards against property tax and the “Saala Bahnoi Patni (SBP) party” —- the name some of them gave to the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). They claimed that Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal no longer had any say in running of the party and the government and brothers-in-law —- Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal and Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia —- and Sukhbir’s wife,Bathinda MP Harsimrat Badal,were calling the shots.

“Not a single day since March 13,when I brought the Tarn Taran police assault victim to the Assembly,has the government once spoken on her plight despite both Supreme Court and Punjab and Haryana High Court taking note of the issue. The CM says he is missing the Opposition as he has no one to target his barbs at. He wants cheerleaders and not Opposition. Let them get their defeated MLAs appointed as halqa in-charge inside to cheer them. It is a shame that when Punjab is burning and traders have been slapped with hefty property tax,the MLAs are heading for a holiday to Goa,Jakhar said,adding “I would urge traders to open shops even on Sundays to make up for the property tax levied on them”.

The mock session also passed a resolution demanding CBI inquiry into the sand and gravel mafia functioning in the state. “Speaker” Jagmohan Kang introduced the motion,saying Punjab was facing acute shortage of construction material and it has led to a revenue loss of Rs 500 crore in three years. “Majithia has a cut in sand and gravel (sale) and ruling party MLAs are also earning per bottle on both country-made and foreign-made liquor,” MLA Charanjit Channi alleged.

Earlier,Dina Nagar MLA Aruna Chaudhary said the halqa’s in-charge call the shots and carry on all illegal works for the government. “My constituency has big potholes. I would suggest the government to use them for fish farming to get some funds for its bankrupt treasury,” she said. Nawanshehar MLA Guriqbal Kaur said the CM praised her for coming to him with her demands but was yet to give green signal to the bypass in her constituency.

MLAs Ashwani Sekhri,Sukhjinder Randhawa and Rana Gurjit gave “instances of government excesses” while former finance minister Lal Singh alleged pilferage of foodgrains with government connivance. Brahm Mohindra said cancer patients were getting no relief from CM’s Fund and the figures on relief were fudged while Kuljit Nagra hit out at Sports Minister Sukhbir Badal for not providing state’s share to avail Rs 18 crore central grants for sports infrastructure. Jakhar intervened,demanding the government to explain from where was Rs 6 crore spent on getting actors Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif to dance during the Kabbadi World Cup.

In mock house and elsewhere

Capt absent from entire session

Former Punjab Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh was not present on a single day of the entire budget session. CM Badal took his characteristic jibe saying he wanted to offer his sympathies to Amarinder for being replaced by Partap Singh Bajwa. Amarinder’s bete noire,Rajinder Kaur Bhattal,was absent Monday,though she did attend a few mock sessions in the last two weeks.

Family first for Bajwa

State Congress president Partap Sigh Bajwa has started his innings by showering largesse on family. Bajwa on Monday appointed his younger brother Fateh Jang Singh Bajwa as general secretary in charge of the Pradesh Congress Office. In a separate order,he nominated former Bholath MLA,Sukhpal Singh Khaira as chief spokesperson of state Congress for “being in the forefront to oppose tyranny and the anti-people policies of the present SAD BJP government.” He also appointed Rajanbir Singh,Rajinder Deepa and Ashok Chaudhry as secretaries of the state Congress. A press statement of the Congress office,said appointments have been made to streamline and revamp the working of PPCC.