Punjab CM meets Sidhu, sets up panel for coordination ahead of polls
Darpan News Desk IANS, 20 Aug, 2021 02:17 PM
Chandigarh, Aug 20 (IANS) Projecting a united face just months ahead of the Assembly polls in Punjab, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and once his bete noire Navjot Singh Sidhu on Friday met at the former's residence near here in a cordial atmosphere and later shared their photos of 'close proximity'.
To ensure better coordination between the ruling party and the state government, and to further expedite the implementation of the government programmes and reform initiatives, the Chief Minister and state Congress president Sidhu on Friday agreed to set up a 10-member 'Strategic Policy Group', a spokesperson for the Chief Minister told IANS.
To be headed by the Chief Minister, the group will have Local Government Minister Brahm Mohindra, Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal and Social Security Minister Aruna Chaudhary as members, along with Sidhu, the four party working presidents -- Kuljit Singh Nagra, Sukhwinder Singh Danny, Sangat Singh Gilzian and Pawan Goel, besides Pargat Singh.
He said the decision was taken this morning when Sidhu, along with Nagra and Pargat, called on the Chief Minister to discuss Punjab related issues and steps to strengthen party-government coordination.
The group will hold weekly meetings, in consultation with other ministers, experts, etc., as may be required. It will discuss and review the progress of the various state government initiatives already under implementation, and will also suggest measures to expedite the same.
In another decision, Amarinder Singh has also assigned his Cabinet colleagues the task of being available in Punjab Congress Bhawan every day, by rotation, for meetings with MLAs and other party functionaries to discuss issues relating to their constituencies and areas and address any grievances.
One minister each will be available at the Congress Bhawan from Monday for three hours (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.), and in any case the minister deputed for a particular day is unable to make it for some reason, he/she shall arrange for a substitute in consultation with any other minister.
The arrangement will be in place five days in a week, from Monday to Friday, said the Chief Minister, adding that this will help in better coordination between his government and party functionaries in the run-up to the 2022 Assembly elections.
"The kind of love Navjot Sidhu exudes for Pakistan, the only advice which we can give is please proceed to become a part of Imran Khan's cabinet," BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said.
Kanhaiya has allegedly manhandled a junior doctor Avinash Pandey and security guards manned at orthopaedics department of AIIMS in Patna on Sunday evening.
Seeking her prosecution under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code that provides for imprisonment for two or more years in case of defamation, the Minister of State for External Affairs filed the complaint in the Patiala House court complex.
Amid the Me Too movement, Mallika Dua's father, Vinod Dua has been accused of alleged sexual harassment. Filmmaker Nishtha Jain accused the veteran journalist of allegedly harassing her in 1989.
On October 7, when thousands of people from across the state participated in a march from Kotkapura to Bargari, demanding justice for the incidents of desecration of Guru Granth Sahib and the killing of two youths in the Behbal Kalan firing, Khaira had given the ultimatum.
