As an austerity measure in view of the financial constraints facing the state, Chief Minister-designate Capt Amarinder Singh has decided to have a simple and low-key swearing-in ceremony.
There will be nothing ostentatious about the oath-taking programme at the Raj Bhavan on Thursday morning, when Punjab Governor VP Singh Badnore will administer the oath of office to Amarinder as the new CM.
Amarinder, along with a few members of his cabinet, will be sworn in to pave the way for the installation of the new government.
Amarinder has made it clear that he did not want any unnecessary or wasteful expenditure to be incurred on the swearing-in ceremony. He said his government was committed to getting the state out of the financial doldrums into which it had been plunged by the previous dispensation. Each small step would count towards ensuring that every possible rupee is saved at this critical juncture, he added.
He requested all newly-elected MLAs to keep their personal invitations to the bare minimum. He urged them to ensure that their supporters also showed similar restraint, and did not clog the roads of Chandigarh and cause hardship to people.
While thanking the party workers and the people of Punjab for giving the Congress such a clear mandate in the Assembly polls, the CM-designate said he would visit all districts to personally express his gratitude once the immediate constitutional requirements of government formation were completed.
Amarinder appealed to the people to support his government’s efforts in bringing Punjab’s growth and development back on track. Pointing to the thousands of crores of rupees of debt under which the state is currently reeling, he underlined the need for collective and out-of-the-box initiatives by all government departments, backed by public support, to address the crisis.
He expressed the confidence that his government would successfully overcome the situation to revive the economic growth and restore the state to its original glory.
