Punjab govt TAKES SERIOUS NOTE ON OPP ADVICE
Punjab Government seems to have taken seriously the Opposition Congress party’s advice of filling its coffers. Though the Congress was talking about the State exchequer, the Chief Minister decided to fill its own treasury by giving himself the 100 per cent raise in salary, besides 66 per cent to his Cabinet colleagues. To keep the Opposition in good humour, 66 per cent hike has also been given in the salaries of MlAs, along with that of the Speaker and the leader of Opposition, as per the recent report passed by the Vidhan Sabha. Though the hike would cause an additional financial burden of around Rs 6.96 crore annually on the State exchequer, the Government, and the MlAs are least bothered about that, and believes that Government would make arrangement for the money. “If Government can give us this much hike, they can also make arrangements for money to run the Government machinery…No wonder if it comes out with more taxes or other ways to mint money,” said a Congress MlA.
Bansal in trouble
The city Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) Mahila Morcha seems to be in no mood to spare former Railway Minister and local MP Pawan Kumar Bansal over his remarks in MCC house meet regarding women. Bansal is likely to face the music for his out of context statement that “Pichle 15 saalon se maine kisi aur ki aurat ki taraf nahi dekha (I have never seen a woman in last 15 years)”. Now, city BJP Mahila Morcha has geared up to start a door-to-door campaign against Bansal and apprize the residents about his disrespectful statement about women. “Mr Bansal you can’t unring a bell so get ready to face the consequences of your disrespectful statement,” said a BJP women activist.
(Contributed by Monika Malik and Nishu Mahajan)