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10 days after quitting, Punjab governor to embark on border tour from February 20
Banwarilal Purohit had sent his resignation to President Droupadi Murmu on February 3, citing personal reasons, but it has not been accepted yet; the governor’s sixth tour to border districts has led to speculation about the possibility of his continuation
Days after he tendered his resignation, Punjab governor Banwarilal Purohit has planned a four-day visit to the border districts of the state from February 20.
The tour will be his sixth visit to the border districts of Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur and Fazilka to monitor the coordination between central and state security and intelligence agencies and gather first-hand feedback from people about the problems, if any, encountered by them.
“The travel plans have been conveyed to the state and district authorities. The itinerary, including the route plan, is still to be finalised,” a Raj Bhawan spokesperson said.
Purohit had sent his resignation to President Droupadi Murmu on February 3, citing personal reasons. While the resignation, which was sent a day after he met Union home minister Amit Shah in New Delhi, has not been accepted till now, the governor’s travel plans to border districts have led to speculation about the possibility of his continuation.
Purohit has been at loggerheads with the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government. His border tours, during which he spoke about the drug problem, illegal mining and other issues on the basis of feedback from residents, had not gone down well with the ruling dispensation in the past.
In a statement, the Raj Bhawan spokesperson said the governor’s itinerary will include meetings with central agencies and state government officials to review the progress made since his previous visits and to address any new issue that has cropped up in recent times. The focus of the meetings will be to enhance coordination between central and state agencies to overcome bottlenecks, particularly on border infrastructure, security, and combating drug trafficking.
“The governor’s agenda includes interactions with village defence committees (VDCs), which have been instrumental in fighting drugs and other social evils in the border area. These engagements aim to glean ground-level insights and feedback from public representatives and the press, enabling issues pertinent to the border areas to be addressed effectively at both the central and state government levels,” the spokesperson said.
According to the statement, senior officers, including the Punjab chief secretary, director general of police, heads of the Border Security Force (BSF), army, National Investigation Agency (NIA), Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), and respective deputy commissioners and senior superintendents of police from each district, are expected to participate in the border visit.
