LOP for protocols committee to make officers accountable

CHANDIGARH Leader of opposition in the state assembly Partap Singh Bajwa on Tuesday demanded the house to unanimously approve ‘protocols committee’ to make the state bureaucracy accountable.

“You write to them (officers) and they don’t respond. As per the official protocol, an MLA is on par with the rank of a chief secretary. I am not saying for myself but it is for the benefit of everyone present in the House,” Congress leader Bajwa said during the zero hour in the second sitting of the house.

He asked the members of the assembly to support the resolution and also pointed towards the officers’ gallery, informing the Speaker that many officers were absent. Further, he said that Haryana government and the Centre has set up the protocols committees.

The demand, however, was rejected as in the absence of the chief minister Bhagwant Mann, who was not present during the house proceedings at that time, rural development and panchayats minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal countered the demand, saying there is no need standing on the side of state’s officers’ lobby.

He said that the officers are responsive, and in case Bajwa has a particular complaint against anyone, he can report so that action be initiated.

“Are you attempting to make a point that bureaucracy was not under the control of our chief minister, however, there is no truth. The government of which officers are a part works for a common goal,” added Bhullar.

Besides this, former minister and congress party MLA Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa reminded the promise made by Mann to offer dairy farmers ₹ 55 per litre fat for which ₹ 22 will be contributed by the Milkfed and ₹ 33 by the state government, asking the CM to contribute the government’s share as, according to him, what is being given to dairy owners is only the quantum of the Milkfed.

Congress MLA Aruna Chaudhary said that illegal mining in her Dinanagar constituency continues unabated, asking the government to act.

BJP MLA Ashwani Sharma suggested the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in the state not to divest the poor and downtrodden of the small patches of land on which they have built houses. “You act against the rich who have usurped the panchayat lands,” suggested Sharma.

Assembly speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan asked the house to pass a resolution for formation of a house committee to visit the polluted Buddha Nullah in Ludhiana and give a report to take corrective steps. The constitution of house committee will be announced soon.

The members in the house raised concerns over pollution of river and sub soil water. Earlier, Muktsar MLA Kaka Jagdeep Singh Brar diverted attention of the Vidhan Sabha towards acute levels of water pollution in his constituency.