Punjab cabinet nod to job for minister Gurpreet Kangar’s son-in-law
Punjab revenue minister Gurpreet Kangar’s son-in-law Gursher Singh will be appointed as excise and taxation inspector on compassionate grounds as cleared by the cabinet on Friday
The Punjab cabinet on Friday gave the go-ahead for the appointment of state revenue minister Gurpreet Kangar’s son-in-law Gursher Singh as excise and taxation inspector on compassionate grounds.
Chairing the cabinet meeting through video-conferencing, the chief minister noted that Gursher’s father Bhupjit had played a crucial role in blowing the lid off the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) scam involving then chairman Ravi Sidhu, an official spokesperson said.
Bhupjit, who was posted as excise and taxation officer (ETO) and died in 2010, had helped the vigilance bureau catch Sidhu giving 5 lakh bribe red-handed, it was claimed.
The spokesperson claimed that the applicant was considered for the post in view of the qualification of candidate and the contribution made by Bhupjit, and the cabinet decided to make an exception on special grounds.
As per the government policy, the ward of a deceased employee has to apply for employment within one year from the date of death. The policy also clarifies that if there is a genuine cause for delay, the candidate’s application can be considered up to 5 years after obtaining special approval from the personnel department.
Interacting with the media after the cabinet meeting, Kangar said, ““Bhupjit Singh passed away in 2010 and Gursher was not eligible for the job then. He got married to my daughter in 2016 and applied for the job that year. Does being my son-in-law deprives him of the right to get a job as per the government policy?”
This is the fourth instance of the cabinet in the Amarinder Singh-led Congress government of giving the go-ahead to jobs to the family members of party leaders on compassionate grounds.
Earlier, the government had appointed late chief minister Beant Singh’s grandson and brother of Ludhiana MP Ravneet Bittu as a deputy superintendent of police (DSP).
This year, a controversy erupted when the cabinet okayed appointment of Qadian MLA Fateh Jung Bajwa’s son as a DSP and Ludhiana (North) legislator Rakesh Pandey’s son as a naib-tehsildar.