Taking serious cognizance of the issue raised by some Legislators regarding not providing rooms in the A block of Punjab Bhawan at New Delhi, Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Rana KP Singh has summoned the officials concerned.
The Speaker has issued summons to IAS officer in-charge Alok Shekhar — the principal secretary (general administration), PCS officer Moneesh Kumar — the special secretary (general administration protocol), besides other officials at Punjab Bhawan, Delhi.
Notably, about four Congress MLAs — Gurkirat Singh Kotli, Parminder Singh Pinki, Barindermeet Singh Pahra, and Gurmeet Singh GP — have sought the intervention of the Vidhan Sabha’s privileges committee on the issue.
In separate communiqués to the Speaker, the legislators had alleged that they were denied rooms in the A block of Punjab Bhawan in Delhi and were being accommodated in the B block, and dubbed it as their “disrespect”, while demanding that the matter should be placed before the privileges committee.
They alleged that the rooms in A block were permanently blocked for the top government bureaucrats. But as per the protocol, the legislators are above the Chief Secretary. The MLAs also alleged that the officers and officials were not picking their phone calls.
Taking serious note, the Speaker has asked the officers to explain under what rules they have denied room in A block to the MLAs, while also asking them to furnish details regarding under which category the MLAs and bureaucrats have been placed.
The Speaker has also directed the officials concerned to bring along the entire record of room booking till date. The speaker has also questioned the officials concerned about why they did not attend to the MLAs’ phone calls.