A three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) will look into the alleged COVID-19 testing scam by Amritsar’s Tulli lab.
Announcing the setting up of the SIT during his #AskCaptain Facebook Live session on Sunday, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has also warned that the State Government would not allow private hospitals or laboratories to profiteer from the unprecedented crisis facing humanity.
“I had received a complaint against Tulli lab and had asked the Vigilance Bureau to look into the matter. But when initial investigation showed that there was no involvement of any Government Department or officer, the case was transferred to the Punjab Police,” he said.
The Chief Minister said that the three-member SIT tasked with the probe is headed by Amritsar Police Commissioner Amritsar, who himself is a doctor, with Civil Surgeon as a member.
“I have ordered the SIT to conduct a thorough investigation and submit its findings soon, so that suitable action can be taken,” he added.
A spokesperson of the Chief Minister’s office later said that the Chief Minister had taken strong exception to SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia’s attempts to “politicize” the simple jurisdictional decision of transferring the probe to the district police.
“Apart from the fact that the Vigilance Bureau had, prima facie, not found any complicity of government department or official in the case, Tulli Labs itself had moved the Court challenging the Bureau’s jurisdiction,” he said, adding that the Government deemed it fit to transfer the case to the Punjab Police to ensure that no legal hurdle is posed later.
“Rather than raising such a nonsensical issue and weakening the morale of the Punjab Police, Majitha should invest his time and energy in pressurizing the Akalis’ political masters in Delhi to put a stop on CBI interference in the Punjab Police investigation in the Bargari and other sacrilege cases, and the subsequent policing firing incidents,” said Capt Amarinder.
ON HARYANA-TYPE QUOTA IN JOBS
Ruling out quota for Punjab’s youth in jobs on the lines of Haryana, Capt Amarinder said that he did not think the neighbouring state’s recent decision in this regard would stand judicial scrutiny.
Responding to a question by a youngster on why Punjab Government could not follow the Haryana model in this regard as mostly outsiders were getting jobs in Punjab, Capt Amarinder said that the Constitution and the law barred any such discrimination in the matter of jobs.
He pointed out that Punjabis were employed all over the country, with no restrictions by any state. “We cannot stop youth from other states taking up jobs in Punjab,” he said, adding that he did not believe Haryana’s decision could be upheld in the courts.
ON DHINDSA’S “NEW SAD”
In response to a question whether the recently established Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) of Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa was a Congress game-plan, the Chief Minister made it clear that what happens in the Akali party “is not our job”.
“They keep fighting…History shows that they keep getting divided. There is nothing new in it. At one point of time, there were seven Akali Dals. The Akali party is like a rubber band — it keeps expanding and contracting,” he quipped, adding that these kinds of things are normal in their party.
He added, “If Dhindsa could not stay with them after being part of SAD his entire life, what can one say…The beauty of democracy is that one can align with any party any time”.
While he welcomes as many political parties as want to join the political bandwagon, the Chief Minister said that he was against any party whose main intent is to disturb the state’s peace.
FIND WAYS TO ENSURE ONLINE EDUCATION ACCESS FOR POOR AND RURAL STUDENTS: CAPT TO EDU DEPT
Amidst reports of government school teachers getting the data pack recharge of their students from poor or workers’ class, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Sunday tasked the state Education Department to work out ways to ensure seamless delivery of education to students with no or inadequate online access.
“Given the COVID-19 situation, which was preventing regular offline classes to be held, it was imperative to ensure equal educational opportunity and access for all students, including the poor and rural students,” the Chief Minister said in response to a question during #AskCaptain.
He said that the Education Department was exploring ways and means to deal with the challenge of imparting education to those who do not have access to online systems. “The new processes would be put in place very soon to ensure that students do not suffer due to the prolonged suspension of physical classes,” he added.
In response to another question regarding school fees, Capt Amarinder said that the State Government had already filed a Letters Patent Appeal (LPA) challenging the Punjab and Haryana High
Court’s decision allowing private schools to charge fee even where no online classes were held during the lockdown period.
On the issue of university and college exams for the final term students, the Chief Minister made it clear that he does not agree with the latest UGC guidelines making it mandatory for exams to be held by September.
“The UGC should leave it to the states to decide, given their ground realities,” he said, adding that he hoped the Prime Minister, to whom he had written a letter a day before in this regard, would understand the State’s concern and intervene in the interest of the safety of the students.