CHANDIGARH:The Amarinder Singh cabinet on Friday approved the proposal to appoint cabinet minister Gurpreet Singh Kangar’s son-inlaw, Gursher Singh as an excise and taxation inspector on compassionate grounds, in one-time relaxation without the case being treated as a precedent.
At the cabinet meeting, chief minister Amarinder Singh noted that Gursher’s father, Bhupjit, had played a major role in blowing the whistle in the Ravi Sidhu PPSC scam to clean up the Punjab Public Service Commission.
Sources said the cabinet ministers did not object to the proposal during the meeting. “It came as a routine item for appointment and there was hardly any discussion,” said a minister.
The move comes close on the heels of the Congress government inviting widespread criticism over the cabinet's decision in June to offer government jobs to sons of two Congress MLAs on compassionate grounds. Later, one of the MLAs, Fateh Jung Bajwa turned down the offer on his son’s behalf. The council of ministers has been divided in its loyalty to the chief minister amid the internal turmoil in the party’s state unit.
The applicant’s mother had sought a government job for her son eight years after her husband’s demise, even though the rules say even delay on account of genuine reasons can be condoned up to five years.
Bhupjit Singh, who was posted as an excise and taxation officer in the excise and taxation department, had died on September 28, 2011. At that time, his son Gursher Singh had just completed his graduation in commerce. As per the official records, Jasbir Kaur, wife of the late Bhupjit Singh, vide her application dated June 26, 2020, (eight years after her husband’s death) had requested for employment in favour of her son, Gursher Singh.
As per government policy dated November 21, 2002, and amendment vide letter dated December 28, 2005, the heirs of the deceased employees/ officers have to apply for employment within one year from the date of death. The policy also clarifies that if there is a genuine cause for delay, the application of the candidate can be considered up to a delay of five years after obtaining special approval from the personnel department, citing reasons for the delay in detail.
Also, it was claimed that Gursher Singh’s qualification, a bachelor’s degree in commerce, will be beneficial for the post of excise and tax inspector. In view of the qualification of the candidate and the “contribution” made by Bhupjit Singh, excise and taxation officer during his tenure, the applicant has been considered for the post of excise and taxation inspector, and the Cabinet has decided to make an exception on special grounds.
‘NOTHING WRONG WITH APPOINTMENT’
Kangar told media persons that his son-in-law would have got the job even if he was not related to him and the economic status of the applicant should not go against him. “The policy makes no reference to restriction of a well-off family from getting the job. I have made several appointments in the power and revenue departments as the minister concerned over the last four years on similar lines. My family got into the marriage alliance in 2016 and the applicant was very young when his father passed away. The applicant had been making efforts to get the job even during the Akali regime. The way his family exposed corruption is something that needs to be appreciated,” he said. Kangar also claimed that he never pursued the case with the chief minister or at any other level
'SUCH DECISIONS PUT A QUESTION MARK ON PARTY AND GOVT’
Cabinet minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, one of the ‘dissident’ ministers, was not appreciative of the decision to offer a government job to his cabinet colleague Kangar’s son-in-law. He said after the meeting, “The deserving applicants should get jobs but there is a need to introspect that instead of giving benefits to ministers and MLAs, we should think of wards of the general public first. It puts a question mark on the party and the state government when such things come ahead of the elections. We are representatives of the people. We should act in a way that no questions are raised at us... There’s no doubt that his father had died, and he had a right to get the job.” On claims that Kangar’s son in law is from a well-off family, Randhawa said, “That’s what I said, the needy should get jobs.” Sources, meanwhile, said demand for holding physical meetings of the Cabinet was also made by a few ministers because they felt it was difficult to have a proper discussion
