Cmled committee clears 6 names for PPSC, 2 for info panel; Khaira fumes
CHANDIGARH : A high-powered committee, headed by Punjab chief minister (CM) Captain Amarinder Singh, on Thursday recommended six names to governor VP Singh Badnore for appointment as members of the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC). The committee also recommended two names for appointment as information commissioners.
The names nominated for the PPSC (official members) include serving IAS officer Amar Partap Singh Virk, son of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Mann) president Bhupinder Singh Mann, Gurpartap Singh Mann, PHD degree holder Jamit Kaur Teji, former IG Lok Nath Angra and dean for postgraduate studies at Punjab Agricultural University professor Neelam Grewal .
Supreet Ghuman’s name has been forwarded for the post of non-official member. Ghuman is a techie and also has a law degree.
The committee has also recommended the names of Khushwant Singh, former journalist who had written the chief minister’s authorised biography, and Sanjeev Garg, a Patiala-based Congress leader.
The committee, comprising the CM, speaker of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha Rana KP Singh and leader of opposition Sukhpal Singh Khaira, considered the names of candidates shortlisted by the search committee before making the recommendation to the governor.
During deliberations, Khaira objected to the inclusion of Angra claiming that another shortlisted candidate was better qualified for the post. NEW DELHI: A fresh controversy hit Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s visit to India on Thursday after it emerged that a convicted Khalistani terrorist had been invited to an official dinner reception, causing a setback to the Canadian leader’s efforts to reassure New Delhi that his government condemns violent extremism.
Already stung by a perceived snub to Trudeau because of his government’s soft stance on prokhalistan elements, Canadian authorities said the invitation extended to Indo-canadian businessman Jaspal Atwal for the reception to be hosted by Canadian high commissioner Nadir Patel on Thursday night had been “rescinded”.
Atwal and three other men were convicted of attempted murder for the 1986 attack on Akali Dal leader Malkiat Singh Sidhu, who was visiting relatives on Vancouver Island at the time.
Sidhu, who was then a minister of state in the Punjab government, was injured in the attack and survived. He was later killed by Sikh militants in Punjab in 1991. Trudeau told reporters: “Obviously we take this situation extremely seriously. The individual in question never should have received an invitation and, as soon as we found out, we rescinded the invitation immediately.
“The member of Parliament who included this individual has, and will, assume full responsibility for his actions.”
The Canadian PM’S Office said in a statement that it was “looking into how this occurred”. It added, “That said, it’s important to be clear that this individual (Atwal) is not part of the official delegation to the PM’S visit to India, nor was he invited by the Prime Minister’s Office.”
The external affairs ministry said it was ascertaining from its mission in Ottawa how Atwal got a visa. “Let us not presume things and decide how he managed to come. This is something which we are trying to find out,” ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said. Atwal is a former member of the International Sikh Youth Federation, one of the key groups in the movement to establish Khalistan, which was banned by Canada and designated a terror organisation in 2003.