Subject: – Congress castigates Sh. Badal for double speak for repeatedly accusing UPA govt. of centralizing power, whereas he is actually centralizing all powers with self and family in Punjab, not even sparing the SGPC.(Punjabi Press Note attached)
It is shocking to read time and again, the same old accusation of Punjab CM Sh. Badal targeting the UPA govt. of centralizing powers and rendering state govt.’s as glorified municipalities. Congress terms this accusation of centralization as a cock and bull story amounting to indulging in double standards. Sh. Badal want to “run with the hare and hunt with the hound” at the same time.
While issuing a statement from Moga in favour of federal structure, more powers to the states and speaking against centralization, Sh. Badal was actually indulging in gross centralization himself. He was in Moga for his ‘Sangat-Darshan’ programme yesterday, to distribute grants worth Rs. 75 lacs for development works. Is the ‘Sangat Darshan’ programme not centralization of powers by the CM, questions the congress? By holding ‘Sangat Darshan’ programme to distribute grants, the CM renders the entire administrative arrangement right from the BDO to Deputy Commissioner and the elected representative redundant. Is not allocating the development funds the duty of the administrative set up, why should the CM visit each assembly segment himself to distribute money, is it not centralization?
Secondly, the Badal govt. has erroneously failed to implement the 73rd and 74th amendments of the Panchayati Raj Act, in letter and spirit in Punjab. Has the govt., actually transferred control of govt. departments to the Panchayats and Municipalities? Not a bit, the Panchayats are as toothless as they were.
Thirdly, is it not a fact that the Badal family is holding 22 of 48 govt. Ministries/Departments with self? The Deputy Commissioners and the SSP’s cannot take any call themselves, they await orders from the CM for even every minutest decisions, be it law and order, transfers and postings etc.
Lastly, Sh. Badal has not even spared our highest religious body SGPC, he does not allow the SGPC members to vote and elect their President, instead the Badal family sends a sealed envelope to name the President. Is this not complete centralization of the SGPC?
Congress challenges the CM to clarify, why he did not rake up the demand for a federal structure with the Janta Party govt. in 1978, when he was CM, or with the I.K. Gujral govt., when he was again CM, or with the Vajpayee govt. of 1999-2004, when he was part of the NDA? Therefore, the Congress advises the CM to stop indulging in double speak, double standards and playing to the galleries. He should first decentralize powers here in Punjab being the CM for the 5th time, before accusing the UPA Central govt. on this issue.
Sukhpal Singh Khaira
