Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has decided to constitute a temporary committee to advise the government on matters of public importance relating to public administration.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has decided to constitute a temporary committee to advise the government on matters of public importance relating to public administration.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, after reviewing the performance of his more than three-month-old government, has decided to constitute a temporary committee to advise the government on matters of public importance relating to public administration.
The decision has drawn sharp criticism from the Congress party, which termed the move as an attempt to outsource the governance of Punjab. It also said that the chairman of the proposed committee may eventually end up as the de facto chief minister of Punjab.
A notification issued by Chief Secretary Vijay Kumar Janjua on July 6 said, “The Chief Minister of Punjab has reviewed the functioning of the Government at various levels and is of the view that a body (temporary nature) should be is required. To the Government of Punjab on matters of public importance relating to public administration. ,
“The Committee shall consist of a Chairperson and such other members, if any, as may be required from time to time, by the Government. The committee has been constituted on an ad-hoc and temporary basis and will work during the pleasure of the Chief Minister of Punjab.
The notification also said, “The office of the Chairperson and Members, if any, shall not be entitled to any compensation, remuneration or allowances of any kind or nomenclature in respect of such appointment. The Chairperson and Members shall also not be entitled to payments which are compensatory including reimbursement.”
Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, Congress’ Pratap Singh Bajwa said the move was a direct reflection of the Chief Minister’s inability to protect the interests of every Punjabi. “This pattern of handing over governance to AAP-Delhi by the Punjab government first started with the knowledge-sharing agreement signed with the Delhi government on April 26, 2022. This is followed by the current issue, which authorizes the backdoor. Entry of Delhi Government into Chandigarh. I strongly oppose this decision and would urge the Governor to act as a protector to protect Punjab against this notification.
Questioning the legality of the proposed advisory committee, Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Waring said the move could result in the chairman of the committee becoming the de facto chief minister of the state. “This amounts to creating an extra-constitutional authority without any accountability that would undermine the constitutional mandate of an elected government and its cabinet,” he said.
He said that in the past, governments constituted advisory committees, but these were specific and for a limited period or purpose and did not have wide-ranging control and authority as proposed.
“If an ad-hoc advisory committee has to be appointed, what is the cabinet for? Or, do you want to outsource governance?” He quipped that there is a strong apprehension among the people that the elected government will be made subordinate and subordinate to the proposed ‘Advisory Committee’, which may not be acceptable in a constitutional democracy.