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.
As Kerala grapples with the unprecedented flooding, a group of Sikh volunteers from Khalsa Aid International, the UK based philanthropist group came to the aid of victims of the calamity.
In a case of medical negligence, a sweeper gave stitches to a patient in Gujarat's Bharuch Civil Hospital. The matter came to light after the video of the incident surfaced on social media on Sunday.
Somou Balaya was assaulted by a private security guard, Pradeep Singh (46), and his employer, Manik Khosla (26), after an argument over directions Balaya had asked for when he was taking a walk in the township's P block on Wednesday, they said.
Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu, who on Friday left India to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Pakistan's Prime Minister designate Imran Khan, said he was going to the other side of the border as a "goodwill ambassador."
Amarinder Singh in his post said the Internet is ripe with content about finding newer ways of drug addiction. He sought platforms help in limiting the spread of those materials.
