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.
Even as he continued to deny Congress’ role in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday named few party leaders who were allegedly involved in the massacre following the assassination of former prime minister Indira Gandhi in the same year.
Parliamentary affairs Minister Brahm Mohindra on Monday tabled the Ranjit Singh Commission report in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha following which the SAD leaders staged a walkout.
The Army will initiate court-martial proceedings against Major Leetul Gogoi for maintaining relations with a local woman in Kashmir and for allegedly being away from his place of posting.
Two accused were awarded life imprisonment by a special SIT court here on Monday in the 2002 Godhra train carnage case in which 59 ‘karsevaks’ were burnt alive in two coaches of the Sabarmati Express.
Neeraj Chopra became the first Indian javelin thrower to win an Asian Games gold medal as he shattered his own national record by clearing a distance of 88.06m here on Monday.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) are likely to invite Congress president Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders for its three-day event next month.
