Fatehgarh November 24:
The decision of Punjab Government to make Deputy Commissioners responsible to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal has come under severe attack of the Opposition parties. The Congress termed the decision autocratic, while Sukhbir said that the move was aimed improving their efficiency.
Sukhbir Singh Badal, on the other hand, said that strict instructions had been issued to all public servants to be responsive to the grievances of general public and elected representatives. He said that in a democratic setup the civil servants would have to shed the 'mai baap' culture and start behaving like true public servants.
Talking to the media after addressing office bearers and party cadre, said that in a democracy, electorate were supreme and officers were paid salaries from the taxes collected from electorates. The Deputy Chief Minister said that the days of officers exercising authority over the people were over and in a democracy officers will have to be accountable to the public. Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Captain Amarinder Singh said that Punjab Government's decision practically seeks to do away with the standard laid down procedures of governance and clearly aims at direct interference from the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister through their chosen officers.
"This will simply mean subverting the administrative procedures which are in place for a long time," said Captain Amarinder, referring to the recent decision of the Government in which the State has been divided into five clusters, with each cluster directly reporting to the officers in the office of the Chief Minister Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir.
"Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has taken this decision with an eye on the forthcoming Assembly elections in the State where by the Chief Minister and his Deputy Chief Minister son want direct interference in the functioning of the administration against the standard laid down procedures of governance," he said in a statement. PCC president maintained that earlier this Government had given charge of the police stations to the MLAs leaving the SSPs, the DIGs and zonal IGs redundant.
"Now after having chosen Deputy Commissioners positioned in districts the Government practically makes them to report directly to the offices of CM and Dy CM by assigning the clusters to chosen officers in their secretariats," he added. "While earlier the MLAs had assumed the charge of SHOs, now Badal and his son want to assume the charge of commissioners in their desperation to have control over everything," he remarked, while adding this only shows that the Chief Minister Badal has lost the control and confidence of administration and is now desperately trying to take control of everything by hook or crook.
The decision of Punjab Government to make Deputy Commissioners responsible to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal has come under severe attack of the Opposition parties. The Congress termed the decision autocratic, while Sukhbir said that the move was aimed improving their efficiency.
Sukhbir Singh Badal, on the other hand, said that strict instructions had been issued to all public servants to be responsive to the grievances of general public and elected representatives. He said that in a democratic setup the civil servants would have to shed the 'mai baap' culture and start behaving like true public servants.
Talking to the media after addressing office bearers and party cadre, said that in a democracy, electorate were supreme and officers were paid salaries from the taxes collected from electorates. The Deputy Chief Minister said that the days of officers exercising authority over the people were over and in a democracy officers will have to be accountable to the public. Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Captain Amarinder Singh said that Punjab Government's decision practically seeks to do away with the standard laid down procedures of governance and clearly aims at direct interference from the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister through their chosen officers.
"This will simply mean subverting the administrative procedures which are in place for a long time," said Captain Amarinder, referring to the recent decision of the Government in which the State has been divided into five clusters, with each cluster directly reporting to the officers in the office of the Chief Minister Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir.
"Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has taken this decision with an eye on the forthcoming Assembly elections in the State where by the Chief Minister and his Deputy Chief Minister son want direct interference in the functioning of the administration against the standard laid down procedures of governance," he said in a statement. PCC president maintained that earlier this Government had given charge of the police stations to the MLAs leaving the SSPs, the DIGs and zonal IGs redundant.
"Now after having chosen Deputy Commissioners positioned in districts the Government practically makes them to report directly to the offices of CM and Dy CM by assigning the clusters to chosen officers in their secretariats," he added. "While earlier the MLAs had assumed the charge of SHOs, now Badal and his son want to assume the charge of commissioners in their desperation to have control over everything," he remarked, while adding this only shows that the Chief Minister Badal has lost the control and confidence of administration and is now desperately trying to take control of everything by hook or crook.
