Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh. (Express File Photo: Jasbir Malhi)Amid a scramble among ministers and ruling Congress party legislators to “accommodate” their relatives in 22 zila parishads in Punjab, the state government finally notified the reservation in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) Friday, almost a year after elections to these institutions were held.
With there being a large number of general category contenders for posts of chairpersons in the zila parishads, and the final decision being delayed, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had to intervene through marathon meetings with Rural Development and Panchayat Minister Tripat Rajinder Singh Bajwa and the officials of CMO.
As per the notification, Mansa, Moga, Muktsar, Fazilka, Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Ludhiana zila parishads will have chairpersons from general category. While Bajwa’s son Ravi Nandan Singh Bajwa is a strong contender for Gurdaspur zila parishad, Mines Minister Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria’s nephew Dilraj Singh Sarkaria is eyeing the Amritsar zila parishad.
For Mansa, former MLA Ajit Inder Singh Mofar’s son Bikram Mofar is a frontrunner. Arshdeep Singh Gagowal, grandson of former minister Sher Singh Gagowal is also a contender. In Fazilka, the home-district of state Congress chief Sunil Kumar Jakhar, former minister Mohinder Singh Rinwa’s son, Sidharth Rinwa is among the top contenders.
Jakhar, it is learnt, was not consulted while notifying the reservation. The government, source said, had been working to ensure everybody reaches a consensus on the issue. The notification, however, left several red faces in the party.
“Unfortunately, a scramble started among the ministers and the legislators to adjust their kin in the zila parishads. Nobody is bothered about the workers at the grassroots who worked hard to ensure the party’s victory,” an MLA, who had been pushing a party worker’s name, said.
The zila parishads reserved for SCs include Hoshiarpur, Pathankot, Ropar, and Barnala. Those reserved for SC women include Kapurthala, Fatehgarh Sahib, Ferozepore and Nawanshahr.
The ones reserved for women include Jalandhar, Sangrur, Bathinda, Faridkot, Patiala, Mohali and Taran Tarn.
The entire process saw two Cabinet ministers Manpreet Singh Badal and Gurpreet Singh Kangar scrambling for Bathinda zila parishad, with finance minister finally having his way. CM’s wife and local MP Preneet Kaur wanted her MLA Madan Lal Jalalpur’s son as chairperson, but the seat was reserved for women.
Congress MLA Pritam Singh Kotbhai’s wife Paramjeet Kaur and Harpreet Singh, son of former minister Hans Raj Joshan, are also among the aspirants to become the chairpersons.
