Cong MP urges brother, associate to give up Punjab Cabinet's offer for jobs to their kin

Two days after the Cabinet of the Congress-ruled state appointed Arjun Partap Singh Bajwa, son of Qadian MLA Fateh Jung Singh Bajwa, as inspector (Group B) in Punjab Police, and Bhisham Pandey, son of Ludhiana MLA Rakesh Pandey, as Naib Tehsildar, Punjab Congress MP Partap Singh Bajwa urged his brother Fateh Jung Singh Bajwa and his associate Rakesh Pandey to voluntarily give up the offer from Punjab Cabinet for jobs to their kin, terming it "the best way to honour memories of departed leaders".

"Given their long legacy, I appeal to my younger brother Fatehjang Singh Bajwa and associate Rakesh Pandey to voluntarily give up the offer from Punjab Cabinet for jobs to their kin on compassionate grounds. This would be the best way to honour memories of departed leaders," said Partap Singh Bajwa on Monday.

He further said, "S Satnam Singh Bajwa and Joginder Pal Pandey, these two great leaders of Congress, in true sense of Punjabiyat engaged in selfless service and strove for betterment and prosperity of people of the state."

Bajwa's remarks came a day after seniors Congress leaders on Sunday backed the Punjab Cabinet's decision to provide government jobs to sons of sitting legislators of the Congress party, lashing out at the critics for failing to appreciate the state policy that has been in force for many years.

Arjun Partap Singh Bajwa, son of Qadian MLA Fateh Jung Singh Bajwa, was appointed as inspector (Group B) in Punjab Police, and Bhisham Pandey, son of Ludhiana MLA Rakesh Pandey, as Naib Tehsildar. The names of Arjun Bajwa and Bhishan Pandey were cleared by the state Cabinet on June 18.

In a joint statement issued by some of the Ministers of the State Government namely Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi, Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, Vijay Inder Singla, Aruna Chaudhary, Sunder Sham Arora, Gurpreet Singh Kangar, Balbir Singh Sidhu, OP Soni, Bharat Bhushan Ashu and the Members of Parliament Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Ravneet Singh Bittu, Jasbir Singh Dimpa and Mohammad Sadiq, the collective decision of the Cabinet to give government jobs to sons of sitting MLAs was termed correct and in line with appointments given to similarly situated persons in the past.

Lal Singh, Chairman, Punjab Mandi Board also came out strongly in support of the decision of Cabinet and advised all political leaders of the Congress to refrain from making any statement that could potentially weaken the party.

The leaders emphasised that the Congress Government has accorded top priority to Ghar Ghar Rozgar Te Karobar Mission, which has already facilitated employment for about 17.60 lakh youth out of which 62,743 persons have been provided government jobs, 9.97 lakh persons have been assisted in self-employment and 7,01,804 private sector jobs have been facilitated.

"The government has already initiated the process for filling up an additional 1 lakh government jobs. This process shall continue unabated and the government shall leave no stone unturned in assisting every unemployed youth in the state," they said.

( With inputs from ANI )