Punjab Assembly: Question Hour marred by government-Opposition spat

Rajmeet Singh

Chandigarh, March 6

Verbal spats between the treasury and Opposition benches marked the Question and Zero Hour on the fourth day of the session on Wednesday as Congress MLAs accused Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan of not allowing them to raise issues.

On the other hand, the treasury benches led by ministers Aman Arora, Balbir Singh and Meet Hayer accused the Congress of putting up foundation stone plaques without getting administrative approvals for the projects in run-up to the last Assembly elections.

Hitting out at the previous Congress government, Health Minister Balbir Singh, replying to a question by Congress Dina Nagar MLA Aruna Chaudhary on the upgrade of community health centre, Singhowal, into a sub-divisional hospital, claimed that the foundation stone was laid without approval. Hayer said, “Instead of doing everything in election year, projects should be started in the first and second year like we did for Aam Aadmi Clinics.”

Countering the AAP ministers, PPCC chief and Gidderbaha MLA Amrinder Raja Warring targeted the government for not fulfilling its promise of implementing the old pension scheme for employees. “AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal has gone back on his promise of implementing the OPS. Even the Himachal Government has implemented it,” said Warring.