The first day of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha’s Budget Session witnessed the Opposition staging a walkout as a “mark of protest” against the continuation of two Cabinet Ministers on their posts after surfacing of their names in the multi-crore drug case.
Congress legislators also boycotted the Governor’s Address to the State Assembly as they were not allowed to raise the “grave issue” of increasing drug menace in the State.
The Congress legislative Party (ClP) has demanded the removal of the State Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia on the grounds that drug lord and former DSP Jagdish Bhola, under the Punjab police custody, had named him as drug racket kingpin. Besides, the ClP is also demanding to remove the State Jail Minister Swaran Singh Phillaur after his son Damanveer Singh has been named by Bhola.
Demanding their removal from the State Cabinet for their alleged involvement in the drug case, the ClP leader Sunil Jakhar raised the issue just when the Punjab Governor Shivraj Patil was about to start his address to the Assembly.
Without naming the minister on the floor of the House, the Opposition sought their dismissal from the office. This followed the sloganeering by the Congress MlAs, who walked out of the Assembly.
“It was with a very heavy heart that I interrupted the Governor. But I wanted to raise a very grave issue regarding the involvement of the State Ministers in the drug case as, I believe, their continuation in their respective office is a more insult than interrupting the Governor,” Jakhar told The Pioneer, after staging the walkout.
He maintained that it was to “mark the protest against the continuation of Majithia and Phillaur in their office after such alarming revelations as they may influence the inquiry”.
Highlighting the poor State of affairs in Punjab in all spheres, Jakhar said that no employment avenues have been created, financial situation is poor, agriculture has become stagnant and under stress, industries are moving out, and with all this, “the State’s youth is moving towards drugs”.
The need of the hour was not only the “zero tolerance towards drug trafficking”, but Government’s move to remove these ministers from Cabinet is required “for its own reputation”.
Besides Majithia and Phillaur, the Opposition also demanded removal of local Bodies Minister Anil Joshi considering the “registration of complaint against him on the directions of the Election Commission of India for obtaining two voter cards”.
Patil projects govt as pro-development
Chandigarh: Patting the SAD-BJP Government’s back for organising summits, Punjab Governor Shivraj Patil on Monday stressed on expeditious implementation of ‘riparian principle’, increasing State’s share in Central taxes to 50 per cent, special economic package, besides the punishment for the “perpetrators of 1984 Sikh carnage”.
Punjab Government, through the Governor’s Address on the commencement of the Budget Session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, tried to project the State as the “development-oriented” and “symbol of peace and communal harmony”.
Patil’s 37-minute address to the Assembly, was nothing but the reproduction of the announcements made by the ministers concerned, from time to time, in their official statements to the media, and the Governor’s earlier speeches. The only “new thing” was the Government’s praise for holding Investors’ and Agriculture Summit.
Right from erecting memorials, to the setting up of Skill Development Centers, from the demand of transferring Chandigarh and other Punjabi-speaking areas to Punjab, to the Centre’s discriminatory attitude towards the State, among others — the Governor’s Address offered nothing new.
Patil’s speech, delivered before the Punjab Assembly, was a near-Xerox copy of the announcements the Governors customarily make before the beginning of a new session.
Under criticism for not fulfilling its promises made before 2012 State Assembly polls, the SAD-BJP Government made no mention to provide tablets to Government school students, and Rs1,000 employability allowance.
In line with the demands raised by the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, time and again, with the
Centre, the Governor touched upon all of them while criticising the Congress-led Central Government for discriminating with Punjab.
Seeks punishment for 1984 Sikh carnage perpetrators
Calling upon the Centre to take effective steps to punish the guilty and provide credible relief to innocent victims of the 1984 Sikh Massacre, the Governor said that the wounds of thousands of innocents who were made brutal targets of cruelty in Delhi and several other parts of the country in November 1984 still cry out for justice and relief.
Bats for cooperative federalism in the country
Calling for early resolution of interstate issues, Patil sought “cooperative federalism” in the country maintaining that the State and Central Governments should be “equal and responsible partners in progress”. Justifying the rationale behind seeking “cooperative federalism”, the Governor demanded that the State’s share in Central taxes be increased from the present 30 per cent to 50 per cent and that these funds should be given to States in an united manner.
Opposes national river water policy
On the vexed issue of utilisation of river water passing through the State, the Governor said that the Riparian principle should be implemented for expeditious disposal of the important matter. “Punjab already faces severe water crisis with ground water level going alarmingly down because of excessive reliance of our farmers on tubewell irrigation. Keeping in view, this problem needs to be resolved expeditiously, which has unfortunately not been done so far,” said Patil.
Demands transfer of UT, other Punjabi speaking areas to Punjab
Patil reiterated Punjab’s claim over Chandigarh and Punjabi speaking areas of Haryana, and alleged that Centre is discriminating against it on economic matters. “There are many important issues relating to the State which remain unresolved. The State has been denied its capital Chandigarh and vast Punjabi speaking areas have been left out of it at the time of re-organisation in 1966. The deadline for the purpose of transfer of Chandigarh to Punjab was set by Government of India as January 26, 1986. It has not been done so far,” Patil said.
lesson to the Opposition
Indirectly hinting at the Opposition’s previous acts of boycotting the session, the Governor said: “I am sure that discussions and deliberations during this session would be conducted in a most constructive and dignified manner, respecting one another’s views and convictions”.