Capt Amarinder pacifies Channi, says Dalits will be included in next list of law officers

Chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Saturday tried to pacify technical education and employment generation minister Charanjit Singh Channi who had openly questioned the absence of Dalit names on the list of 28 new law officers appointed by the government.

The CM called up Channi in the morning before heading to Shahkot for a roadshow and assured to address the gap. “The CM told me that another list of law officers is being made and Scheduled Caste and backward class applicants will get due representation in it,” Channi said.

Punjab has already exceeded the figure of 154 law officers worked out by advocate general Atul Nanda’s office based on work assessment. With the appointment of 28 new law officers, their number has now gone up to 156. But the government contends that the number is still less than 215 during the SAD-BJP regime. Of the 156 law officers, five are Dalits and one belongs to the backward class. The issue was also taken up by Amritsar West MLA Raj Kumar Verka with the CM at Shahkot.

According to a Channi, the AG was present in a cabinet meeting when he had raised the issue of reserving 30% posts of law officers for Dalits and backward classes and the CM had asked him (AG) to give them due representation.

It was later agreed to amend the Punjab Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes (Reservation in Services) Act, 2006, to reserve 30% posts in all government appointments for Dalits. But the proposal is pending with the department for welfare of SCs and BCs.

The Congress manifesto had promised reservation for Dalits in all government contractual as well as outsourced appointments besides posts of chairman, vice-chairman and members in boards, corporations and trusts. The SC, BC MLAs of the Congress have been resentful since the cabinet expansion last month. None among the nine new ministers belonged to their community. Three MLAs had given up party posts while a few others had met Congress president Rahul Gandhi to express their anger.