A tough taskmaster, Jouramajra is no stranger to controversies

A tough taskmaster, Punjab health minister Chetan Singh Jouramajra has been drawing criticism for grilling doctors and medical staff ever since he took office. An undergraduate and a farmer by profession, he had worked as a labourer in South Korea for seven years.

Punjab health minister Chetan Singh Jouramajra, 45, who is finding himself in the eye of a storm over the “maltreatment” of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences vice-chancellor Raj Bahadur, is no stranger to controversies.

Punjab health minister Chetan Singh Jouramajra is finding himself in the eye of a storm over the “maltreatment” of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences vice-chancellor Raj Bahadur. (HT File)

A tough taskmaster, he has been drawing criticism for grilling doctors and medical staff ever since he took office.

An undergraduate and a farmer by profession, he had worked as a labourer in South Korea for seven years.

Jouramajra shot into limelight in 2019 when he foiled a kidnapping bid on a girl in Tarn Taran and got shot by unidentified assailants. He was serving as the district president of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s Patiala rural unit at the time. Taking note of his brave act, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal not only promoted him but also gave him a ticket during the Punjab assembly elections. He defeated two mighty candidates – Shiromani Akali Dal’s Surjit Singh Rakhra and Congress’ Rajinder Singh – from the Samana assembly seat.

A police official requesting anonymity said, “It is difficult to work with him. He wants the police to work according to his wishes. And now that he has become a minister, we are constantly on our toes.”

AAP workers, however, were all praise for him as he “listens patiently, meets everyone and resolves their issues on the spot.”

Despite several attempts, Jouramajra remained unavailable for comments.