Punjab Cong kickstarts new programme, Ashu first to meet people at party office

The cabinet minister, along with state working president Kuljit Singh Nagra, heard them for more than three hours at the Punjab Congress Bhawan, the party’s office in Chandigarh. Ashu was the first cabinet minister to sit at the state unit headquarters

Punjab food and civil supplies minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu met Congress workers and people at the party office in Chandigarh on Monday to redress their grievances.

Punjab Cong kickstarts new programme, Ashu first to meet people at party office

The cabinet minister, along with state working president Kuljit Singh Nagra, heard them for more than three hours at the Punjab Congress Bhawan, the party’s office in Chandigarh. Ashu was the first cabinet minister to sit at the state unit headquarters.

Chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh had last week, on Punjab Congress chief Najvot Singh Sidhu’s request, deputed the cabinet ministers to be available at the party office by rotation to listen to people’s grievances. As per the roster, local government minister Brahm Mohindra was to meet the party workers on Monday. However, Mohindra, who heads the ministerial group that has been holding talks to redress the state employees’ grievances, had a pre-scheduled meeting with officials on their demands.

The minister said he wrote to the CM informing him about his engagement and requested him to assign it to some other minister. The chief minister deputed the food and civil supplies minister.

After the meeting, Ashu said there were about 50 people who came with personal work or issues related to police, local government, revenue, food and rural development departments. “I heard each one of them and spoke to officials. I told them to solve their issues and report within 15 days,” he said.

While Nagra listened to the Congress workers who came with issues related to the party’s organisational set-up, rural development and panchayats minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa also visited the party office.

As per the programme, one minister each is to be available at the party office for three hours (11am to 2pm), and in case the minister is deputed for a particular day is unable to make it for some reason, he or she will arrange for a substitute. The duty roster has been issued by for next four months.

The move is drawing flak from the opposition, particularly the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which has raised questions over its timing and the intentions of the ruling party. AAP MLA Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer said the cabinet ministers belong to and get paid by the government and not a party. “They should sit in their government offices and listen to everyone and not just the workers of one party,” he said.

However, Ashu said the ministers would continue to meet people at their offices and official residences like before.