Governor must refrain from raking up conflicts, says Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann

Aparna Banerji

Jalandhar, July 25

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday launched a tirade against Governor Banwarilal Purohit stating that the Governor must refrain from taking panga (raking up conflicts) with the state government.

Reiterating that the state will boycott the Niti Aayog meeting scheduled for July 27, the CM said the “kursi bachao budget” of the Centre was enough proof that Punjab had been sidelined in budgetary allocations. In such a situation, there was no reason left to attend the meeting, the CM said.

The CM’s comments came on the sidelines of a meeting held with the Deputy Commissioners of eight districts of Majha and Doaba regions, in which pending development works were discussed. “Now that the month-long poll code restrictions are lifted, files will begin to move,” Mann said.

Good relations must prevail

The Governors of only non-NDA-ruled states are doing this to pester us. I ask him not to take panga with the state government’. The state’s harmony must not be affected. Respectfully, I request him not to create such an atmosphere. Good relations must prevail. —Bhagwant Mann, Chief Minister

He also targeted the Governor saying decisions regarding appointment of VCs of universities must be made by ‘elected’ representatives and not ‘selected’ ones.

When questioned on the Governor’s recent border area visit and whether declared cash prizes for villages will come from the state coffers, the CM said: “Ask him where the funds will come from. He should inaugurate seminars and participate in university events and not hold tours and roadshows in border areas. He also takes along half of my government.”

Speaking on Niti Aayog meeting, Mann said: “The INDIA CMs, including me, have decided to boycott the July 27 Niti Aayog meeting after the “kursi bachao budget”. Punjab is the food bowl of the nation. Its police mans 532-km-long border and it’s youth are martyred in the line of duty. The state should have been given special status. But even its name wasn’t mentioned in the Budget. Punjab’s RDF and NHM money has been stopped. We already know their intent. So there’s no point attending the meeting.”

No special package for Jalandhar

Answering a query on special package for Jalandhar after the bypoll win, Chief Minister Mann said: “The development works being done here are all ‘special’.” After the win in the 2023 bypoll, the CM had allocated Rs 95 crore to the Jalandhar Municipal Corporation.