Demanding immediate disqualification of 24 Chief Parliamentary Secretaries (CPSs) of the SAD-BJP Government in Punjab, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday said that this ‘army’ of CPSs is not only over-burdening the State exchequer rather indulging in ‘loot’ of the taxpayers’ money.
“As per the information obtained under RTI Act, the fuel bill of Punjab’s Chief Parliamentary Secretaries is a staggering Rs 1 lakh a day…Is it not the loot of the State’s cofferIJ” quipped party’s MP from Sangrur Bhagwant Mann.
He said that on one hand, 21 CPSs, who were not getting even a single penny, were targeted by the BJP, but on the other hand, it allowed the loot by its 24 CPSs in the Punjab.
As per the Constitution, no MlA can accept any office of profit other than the post of Minister; and if he or she accepts, he or she is liable for his or her disqualification of from the Assembly, pointed Mann.
“What is office of profitIJ Whether AAP CPSs, who were not getting anything or the SAD-BJP CPSs, who are looting the State exchequer, are holding the ‘office of profit’IJ” questioned Mann.
He said: “Delhi CPSs get no official car, house, rent allowance, official accommodation or salary from the Government. They are working as the volunteers helping in the work of Ministers…Akali-BJP and Congress leaders have no moral right to talk about this issue as their own CPSs in many States are enjoying Government perks while Delhi CPSs are working for the welfare of people without getting any additional money.”
AAP MP said that the appointment of these 24 CPSs is a violation of the Constitution, and they are “unconstitutional burden on the public exchequer” as they are being given salaries and other perks more than MlAs of Punjab.
According to the information obtained under the Right to Information Act, Punjab’s Transport Department paid Rs 4.66 crore in 18 months for the fuel bills of the 21 Chief Parliamentary Secretaries between April 2014, and October 2015.
“Some of the CPSs spent Rs 2 lakh a month on fuel, which means the car they were using ran 600 to 800 km a day. Some CPSs have multiple cars,” said Mann.
He added that SAD MlA from Sri Hargobindpur Desh Raj Dugga tops the list by spending Rs 2 lakh a month on the fuel for the two cars provided to him by the Government, and he spent Rs 35 lakh on fuel in 18 months.
He is followed by BJP MlA from Jalandhar (North) KD Bhandari, who spent Rs 33 lakh during the same period on his two cars, and SAD MlA from Khem Karan Virsa Singh Valtoha who spent Rs 29 lakh on one car, he added.
Mann added that when it comes to the limit of paying for fuel bills of the CPSs, the State Government has kept it open meaning they can be paid as much amount as they claim.