AAP, LIP legislators walk out of Governor’s Address

Rajmeet Singh

Tribune News service

Chandigarh, March 20

Fourteen of the 20 AAP MLAs, led by Leader of the Opposition Sukhpal Khaira, on Tuesday staged a walkout from the House over the Congress government’s “failure” to check the drug menace. Lok Insaaf Party legislators Simarjit Singh Bains and Balwinder Bains joined the AAP leaders in walking out during Governor’s Address, but returned later. AAP MLAs Amarjit Singh Sandoa and Kultar Singh Sandhwan remained seated, while four others were absent.

Governor VP Singh Badnore listed the pre-poll promises being fulfilled by the state government, even as the SAD-BJP MLAs skipped the proceedings on the opening day of the Budget session.

In his address, Badnore said: “The government is seriously concerned about the problems of its employees and pensioners. It has decided to clear their pending dues on priority and evolve an appropriate mechanism to resolve their genuine grievances.”

Among the government’s achievements, he mentioned busting of eight terror modules involved in sectarian killings, timely lifting of rabi and kharif crops, setting up of the Special Task Force (STF) to tackle drug addiction, submitting of interim reports by the Justice Mehtab Singh (retd) Commission of Inquiry probing false cases, launch of the farm debt relief scheme, and formation of the Justice Ranjit Singh (retd) Commission of Inquiry to look into sacrilege cases.

A passing reference was made to the directions issued to Deputy Commissioners and other officers to ensure no cartelisation or favouritism. However, the speech did not mention the steps being taken to rein in the mafia in various trades, including cable network, transport and sand mining.

He said: “The state is seriously concerned about illegitimate demands and averments of our neighbouring states. All possible measures would be taken to protect the river waters of Punjab.”

He also talked about reforms in the education sector, efforts to simplify payments for social welfare schemes, the new culture policy, the new industrial and business policy, and mega placement drives.