Punjab Congress chief demands relook and rescinding of jobs given on ‘compassionate ground’

CHANDIGARH: Even as he underlined the fact that it is the moral duty of the government to take care of the families of freedom fighters, Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar said that it would "not be proper to keep recent appointments made on compassionate grounds in the same league."
Jakhar’s statement follows five cabinet ministers objecting to the proposal to give jobs to sons of two of the party MLAs on compassionate grounds on Friday. The opposition parties – AAP and SAD - too have been questioning the decision.
Urging chief minister Amarinder Singh to have a relook at the decision and immediately rescind the appointments in greater public interest, Jakhar pointed out that certain elected representatives tending to their own families do not deserve the same consideration as is due to those who make the supreme sacrifice for the nation.
“Captain Amarinder Singh Ji must reverse the ill-advised decision,” Jakhar said cautioning against potential charges of nepotism and political expediency to be levied against the Congress party otherwise.
The decision is also in my view, the state party chief said, against the ethos and culture of neutrality followed by the chief minister and the Congress party as a whole.
Jakhar further said that the decision has put on back burner several key announcements made by cabinet on Friday, including the implementation of the pay commission recommendations and the regularisation of Safai Karamcharis, and the party has failed to highlight the benefits of these pro-employee decisions which it has taken despite severe financial crunch.