EX- IAS officer Kanwaljeet Singh Cheema joins SAD

Former IAS officer Kanwaljeet Singh Cheema joined the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in the presence of party president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Thursday.

Cheema, a 1993-batch West Bengal-cadre Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, served as the special principal secretary to former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal on inter-cadre deputation for a considerable period. After inducting him into the party, Badal said Cheema’s joining will further strengthen the SAD.

Addressing the media, Badal said Cheema possesses long administrative experience in both Punjab and West Bengal, and his vast knowledge and field experience would be an asset for the party. He said Cheema, who has roots in Moonak in Sangrur, had an illustrious career, having served as the special principal secretary to former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal for 10 years. The SAD chief pointed out that Cheema was also the secretary to former Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee and additional chief secretary to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Welcoming Cheema into the Akali fold, Badal thanked him for choosing Punjab’s only regional party that has a 105-year-old record of “sewa” (service) and sacrifice.

The SAD president said that when Cheema was posted under Parkash Singh Badal, he used to accompany him at “Sangat Darshan” programmes to resolve people’s issues.

Lashing out at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab, Badal cited an RTI reply and claimed that the state received only Rs 2,600 crore in investments from 2022 to 2026, contrary to the ruling party’s claims of Rs 1.5 lakh crore. He alleged that the government, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, lies to mislead people.

He further slammed the state government over law and order, alleging that lawlessness is prevailing in the state and gangsters are ruling the roost.

Cheema described the SAD president as the “protector” of Punjab’s rights and said he would do his best to support Badal in this endeavour.

A large number of Cheema’s supporters were also present on the occasion.

Cheema joined the Punjab government in 2007 and served the Parkash Singh Badal-led regime from 2007 to 2017.

In 2008, the then prime minister Manmohan Singh himself turned down Cheema’s deputation and asked him to return to his parent cadre. However, Parkash Singh Badal had insisted on keeping him.

After the Congress came to power in Punjab in 2017, Cheema was repatriated to his parent cadre, West Bengal.