SAD-BJP urges speaker to disqualify advisers to Captain

CHANDIGARH: A delegation of MLAS belonging to Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday urged Vidhan Sabha speaker Rana KP Singh to disqualify seven Congress legislators, six of whom were made advisers two days ago, for accepting office of profit.

The delegation said the appointments violated the 91st amendment of the Constitution which says that number of ministers should not exceed 15 per cent of the total strength of the House. The opposition MLAS said the move has taken the total number of political appointees in the government to 27 — 13 advisers, four political secretaries, nine OSDS and one chief principal secretary.

The delegation, which was led by SAD legislative party leader Parminder Singh Dhindsa and senior leader Bikram Singh Majithia on behalf of the Akali Dal and Arun Narang on behalf of the BJP, apprised the speaker that a grave constitutional crisis had arisen in Punjab.

They said appointments of — Raj Kumar Verka, Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, Kuljit Singh Nagra, Sangat Singh Gilzian, Inderbir Singh Bolaria, Kushaldeep Singh Dhillon and Tarsem Singh DC — as advisers to the CM in the rank of cabinet/minister of state will add to the financial burden on the state exchequer . “This has been done at a time when 25-lakh students are not getting mid-day meal, SC scholarships are not being paid, sugarcane farmers are waiting for their dues, employees have not got dearness allowance and no budget allocated for 550th Parkash Purb of Guru Nanak.”

The delegation also demanded disqualification of four MLAS who had resigned from the AAP in violation of The Representation of Peoples Act.