By PTI
CHANDIGARH: Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Saturday said he was ready to work with Punjab Congress Chief Navjot Singh Sidhu and is ready to make any “sacrifice” for the party.
The CM’s comment came in the backdrop of an ongoing cold war between him and Sidhu, with the latter often indulging in criticism of the state government led by his own party.
Asked about Sidhu’s adverse comments against his government, Channi said he was a “loyal soldier” of the party and was discharging the duty assigned with complete honesty.
“I am ready to work with Sidhu Sahab, and I am already doing it. I am always ready to make any sacrifice for the party. I will go by whatever is told to me by the party,” Channi said.
“I always welcome criticism. It may come from anyone, even if my brother tries to criticise, I listen to him and correct myself,” he said.
Sidhu has been targeting the government in Punjab at public rallies.
During one rally he asked people whether they were getting cable TV connection and sand at cheap rates, as promised by the CM.
Replying to the comment, Channi said sand was being delivered at the rate Rs 5.50 per cubic feet at quarries and the cable sector was under the Centre’s jurisdiction.
Channi also said when Sidhu was a minister, he had proposed a law on cable for ending the cable mafia but that “was not up to the mark.”
In November, Channi had announced fixed charges for cable TV at Rs 100 for a month.
To a question on Sidhu questioning the government over the Bikram Majithia case, Channi said the first step to catch a criminal was to lodge an FIR.
The Shiromani Akali Dal leader was booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
The case was filed against him on the basis of a 2018 report of a probe into a drug racket in the state, said Channi while addressing the media here.
Asked why Sidhu was not satisfied with the FIR, Channi said he will be, and added: “Aate Aate aayega dil ko karar, jaate jaate bekrari jaayegi”.
Sidhu had earlier said that FIR filed against the Akali leader will result in nothing.
Responding to the sacrilege case, Channi said a probe in the matter by a special investigation team was already underway and will be brought to a logical end at the earliest.
He said all “big fish” in the drug mafia will also be dealt with severely as per the law of the land.
On the recent alleged sacrilege bid inside the Golden Temple, Channi said his government has already offered full support and cooperation to the SGPC who was conducting investigation in the case at their own level.
on Saturday threatened to stage a ‘dharna’ against Governor Banwarilal Purohit for withholding his assent to a bill for regularising 36,000 contractual employees.
Channi also accused Purohit of dithering on approving the bill under pressure from the BJP.
The state assembly had passed ‘the Punjab Protection and Regularization of Contractual Employees Bill-2021’ last November for regularising 36,000 employees working on contract or on ad hoc, temporary or daily basis in different government departments.
“But the governor has stopped the file (relating to the bill) because of some political reasons,” Channi said while addressing the media here for giving the report card on 100 days of his regime.
The chief minister said he along with his ministers had already met the governor on the issue while the chief secretary had also visited the governor twice.
Channi said he ans his ministers will meet the governor again on Monday.
“If he does not do it (clear the file) then it is politics. If we have to stage a ‘dharna’, we will do it but we have to regularise employees. A law has been framed,” he said.
“It is his (the governor’s) responsibility to clear the file. Earlier, I thought he was busy somewhere. But as I have already met him and the CS visited him, it is now politics. Because there is pressure from the BJP, he should not do politics,” Channi said.
Channi said it was the question of the future of several employees who had been anxiously waiting for a day when their services would be regularised.
Last month, Channi had met the governor and had raised the issue of 12 bills including the regularisation bills requiring his assent.
Ahead of the Punjab assembly polls, the Channi government has been facing criticism for not being able to fulfill his promise of the regularisation of contractual employees.
At the medic conference, Channi highlighted the major pro-people initiatives taken by his government during 100 days like setting up of several chairs in the name of eminent personalities like Bhagwan Valmiki, Guru Ravidass, Bhagat Kabir, Bhagwan Parshuram and Bhai Jaita (Baba Jiwan Singh).
Replying to a query for establishing another chair in the name of the legendary martyr Shaheed Udham Singh Sunam, Channi assured that he would certainly get this issue examined for setting up the chair in recognition of the enormous contribution of iconic revolutionary in the national freedom struggle.
Emphasizing the need to intensify efforts to boost employment avenues, Channi said his government is already in the advanced stage of implementing the employment guarantee scheme which would be announced soon as the modalities in this regard have already been cleared.
He also mentioned that the process for the regularisation of services of 4,587 ‘safai sewaks’ and sewermen working on contract basis in various urban local bodies is already underway.
