Punjab Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan seeks report on lack of workshop coverage by media

Ruchika M Khanna

Chandigarh, July 1

Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan has sought a report from the Secretary, Public Relations Department, regarding the lack of media coverage to a one-day workshop held in the Vidhan Sabha complex on June 26.

The workshop on the issues and concerns on the use of highly hazardous pesticides saw participation by Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian and Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh, besides many eminent personalities. The Speaker also attended the workshop.

Interestingly, a press note on the workshop was released by the PR Department on the same day, but was later withdrawn. The message to the media asked them not to use the press note as an updated version would be released soon. However, no updated version was released.

On June 28, Secretary to the Speaker Surinder Singh Moti wrote to Secretary of the PR Department Malwinder Singh Jaggi saying the Speaker had taken a serious note of the “press note not being published in newspapers”. The Tribune is in possession of that letter.

This, the letter adds, is a breach of the Speaker’s privilege. “I am directed by the Speaker to urge you to get an inquiry conducted into the entire episode to find out at what level there has been a failure to act prudently, and comments/report be sent to the undersigned (Secretary to the Speaker),” it reads.

When contacted by this reporter, Jaggi said he had not seen the letter so far.