Punjab CM has no control over officers, says Sukhbir Badal on illegal sand mining issue

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday, said chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh has no control over civil administration and police officials, who do not pay heed to his orders.

Badal, while addressing media at a ‘Poll Khol’ rally in Sham Chaurasi constituency in Hoshiarpur, was referring to the CM’s tweet on illegal mining, which Capt spotted on the banks of Sutlej river in Phillaur and Rahon, while travelling to Kartarpur in his official helicopter on Tuesday. He had shared pictures of JCB machines along the river on social media.

“Illegal mining is flourishing in the state and even the CM witnessed it recently, but nothing has been done despite his strict instructions to all DCs and district police chiefs to ensure no illegal mining takes place in their concerned districts. It is clear that the officers are listening to Congress MLAs but not the CM’s orders,” he said.

Sukhbir said a nexus between Congress legislators and officers was responsible for rampant illegal mining in Punjab.

On upcoming budget session, Sukhbir said the Congress government will present more false documents, which will remain unimplemented like the last year’s budget.

“By keeping the budget session confined to a mere six days, the party is running away from the debate as they don’t have any achievements to show for its one-year rule. The government knows that it has failed on many fronts whether it was loan waiver for farmers or employment for youth,” he said.

Sukhbir said the Congress government has started snatching jobs from those already employed. “There are 15,000 teachers working on contractual basis, who had earlier been receiving salaries between Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000 per month which has now been reduced to Rs 10,300,” Sukhbir said.