E-Paper
Punjab govt issues NOC for Parampal’s resignation
Also gives BJP’s Bathinda pick no dues certificate, clearing decks for filing of her nomination papers
Days after turning down IAS officer Parampal Kaur Sidhu’s request for voluntary retirement from service (VRS), the Punjab government has finally issued a no objection certificate (NOC) to the resignation tendered by her, people familiar with the development said. Parampal has been fielded by the BJP from the Bathinda seat. The government is also learnt to have issued her ‘no dues’ certificate. The development has come as a relief for Sidhu, who is to file her nomination papers for the June 1 Lok Sabha elections.
Notably, Parampal’s resignation was accepted by the Department of Personnel and Training, Union government.
A state government official, privy to the developments, said her resignation had already been reportedly okayed by the Centre, which in turn sought the state government’s comments and a no objection certificate through a letter sent to the state on Friday.
Following this, the state government initiated the process of granting the NOC for the resignation. “Everything is settled now and decks are clear for Parampal to file her nomination papers,” said a senior official of the state government.
The ex-IAS officer confirmed that she had got the ‘no dues’ certificate for filing her papers. According to her, she is sad at how she has been given a “rough time” by the AAP-led Punjab government, just to “bring hurdles in filing nomination”. “There have been examples when IAS or IPS officers were given VRS for letting them contest polls. VRS was sanctioned to Kunwar Vijay Pratap by the Congress government though he contested on an AAP ticket. Earlier, the Akali-BJP government allowed VRS to Kuldeep Singh Vaid who contested from a Congress ticket. Why there arose a question mark when I wanted to serve the people of Bathinda,” the BJP candidate said.
She will not get benefits under the VRS scheme.
Earlier, Sidhu had applied for VRS and the DoPT had formally relieved her. However, the state government had rejected her request for the VRS for allegedly “falsifying” grounds and asked her to resume her duties.
Apprehending that she may face problems in getting a no-due certificate for government dues for filling her nominations, Sidhu tendered her resignation from IAS on May 8. “To avoid any confusion, I have tendered my resignation. I have heard that it has been accepted,” Sidhu said. “I was not being given a no-due certificate (for electricity and water charges for availing government accommodation) citing that I have not retired. They were playing games,” she alleged.
A 2011-batch Indian Administrative Service officer, the daughter-in-law of Akali Dal leader Sikandar Singh Maluka had put in her papers last month. She had joined the BJP in Delhi on April 11.
