Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday demanded “immediate disqualification” of a total 24 chief parliamentary secretaries (CPS) appointed by the SAD-BJP led Punjab Government. 

Party’s delegation, led by its senior leader and legal Cell head Himmat Singh Shergill, made a formal complaint to the state Chief Electoral Officer VK Singh about the “unconstitutional appointment” of 24 CPS by the government. 

Shergill said that the appointment of these 24 CPS is a violation of the Constitution. “Article 191 of the Constitution says that the member of the State legislature will be disqualified if any office of profit is held by such member of State legislature under Government of India or Government of any State,” he pointed.

He said that these 24 CPS are “unconstitutional burden on the public exchequer” as they are being given salaries and other perks more than the MlAs.

“Every CPS in Punjab gets more than `1 lakh per month as salary and an official vehicle with a choice of Toyota Fortuner of Toyota Camry. CPS can claim lTC besides the facility of free water and electricity. They also get official accommodation in Chandigarh’s Sector 39 and if staying in their own house, they get `50,000 as house rent allowance,” pointed Shergill.

He said that the State’s financial condition is in bad shape and farmers are committing suicide. “In that time, spending money unnecessarily on these CPS is a cruel joke with the people of the state. More than the perks and other facilities being given to these CPS, the Government needs to spend this money for the welfare of the people,” he said.

Party demanded that the Government must use this money to give salaries to its employees. “Thus we demand immediate disqualification of these unconstitutionally appointed Chief Parliamentary Secretaries in Punjab,” he told the CEO.

Defending AAP led Delhi Government or appointing CPS, Shergill said that Delhi CPSs get no official car, house rent allowance, official accommodation or salary from the government. Rather, they were working as the volunteers helping in the work of Ministers, he added.