IPS officer Sangeeta Kalia not attending minister Vij’s meetings
FATEHABAD SPAT After Kalia skipped a meeting with Vij on Friday, minister said he will take up the issue with CM
KARNAL: More than two-and a-half years’ old tussle between Haryana health minister Anil Vij and IPS officer Sangeeta Kalia, following a spat at a district grievances committee meeting at Fatehabad in November 2015, seems to have shifted to Panipat as the IPS officer is not attending meetings chaired by Vij here.
Since Kalia was transferred as Panipat SP in April 25, she has not attended any meeting chaired by Vij yet. The first meeting of the district grievances committee was scheduled on April 27, but it was cancelled for unknown reasons.
On Friday, Kalia again skipped the meeting and there were about six complaints related to her office, which could not be addressed.
Even BJP local workers raised the issue during the workers’ meeting with Vij and asked if the SP does not attend the meeting of a cabinet minister, how a worker and common man will get a response.
On his part, Vij said, “I will take up the issue with the chief minister soon.”
Notably, in November 2015, Vij had left the meeting of the district grievances committee in Fatehabad in a huff after a spat with Kalia, the then SP Fatehabad, who had refused to follow his order to leave the venue following heated exchanges between them over the alleged illegal sale of liquor in Fatehabad.
On April 25, the 2010-batch IPS officer was appointed as SP Panipat, where Vij is the chairman of the district grievances committee.
An official present in the meeting said, “There were several complaints against the police which could be taken up with the SP but she was not there.”
“Even the minister was embarrassed when the party workers raised the issue,” the official said.
However, the IPS officer could not be contacted despite HT’s repeated phone calls and text messages. Haryana DGP BS Sandhu, who held a meeting with Panipat police officials in the presence of SP Sangeeta Kalia on Thursday, was also not available for comments.