Manpreet handpicks officers to review works in his segment

BATHINDA: With just two years of the Congress government’s tenure left, finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal has handpicked two officers to review the progress of ongoing development works and implementation of welfare schemes in Bathinda (urban) assembly segment represented by him.

Bathinda sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Amrinder Singh Tiwana has been appointed as nodal officer and Bathinda tehsildar Sukhbir Singh Brar as coordinator in this regard.

Bathinda deputy commissioner B Srinivasan made these appointments recently, following Manpreet’s orders.

Manpreet’s order on these appointments says the SDM can also take district-level administrative decisions as nodal officer, which has baffled some officials who feel SDM cannot supersede additional deputy commissioners and deputy commissioner.

Talking to HT, DC Srinivasan said the appointments have been made to review the development works in Bathinda city.

Asked if the minister’s order empowers SDM to take districtlevel administrative decisions, he said it is not so but added that he will have to look into the details of the order. He did not attend the phone later.

When contacted, Manpreet said every government official’s primary duty is to ensure implementation of all government schemes and projects. “The officers appointed have to ensure that every scheme is carried out in most-efficient manner and there is no delay,” he said.

On authorising the SDM to take district-level administrative decisions, he said a lot of coordination is required between various departments for execution of projects and schemes. “The DC has to look after the entire district. Someone should be responsible for taking decisions speedily,” he said.

SDM Tiwana said his mandate is limited to review the progress of works in Bathinda (urban) assembly segment. “We have held two meetings in this regard so far. The purpose of these appointments is to ensure proper implementation of development works in the segment represented by the minister and to remove any bottlenecks in this regard,” he said adding that the appointment in no way gives him powers to supersede ADC or DC.

Notably, in 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Congress candidate from Bathinda parliamentary seat Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, who was pitted against Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) nominee Harsimrat Kaur Badal, trailed by over 3,700 votes in Bathinda (urban) assembly segment.

The appointment of two officers also assumes significance as the term of Bathinda municipal corporation (MC) came to an end last week. Now, the administration of the corporation is directly in the hands of MC commissioner and not with the SAD-BJP that ruled MC.