Guv meeting officers amounts to interference by Centre: SAD
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Wednesday said that meetings by governor Gulab Chand Kataria with the administrative secretaries was against the spirit of federalism as enshrined in the Constitution and amounted to ‘direct interference in the internal affairs of the state by the Union government.
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Wednesday said that meetings by governor Gulab Chand Kataria with the administrative secretaries was against the spirit of federalism as enshrined in the Constitution and amounted to ‘direct interference in the internal affairs of the state by the Union government.
It also advised chief minister Bhagwant Mann to “set his house in order to avoid interference” by the Centre. In a statement here, SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema mentioned the new trend of governors holding direct meetings of administrative officers of the state would result in doubling in command and would be detrimental to the interests of the state as such meetings would also affect the Centre-state relations.
Asserting categorically that the SAD had always stood for more powers to the states, Cheema said it was unfortunate that in recent years state governments were being subjugated by the Centre and not being allowed to plan and implement state-specific schemes.
“This has resulted in friction between the states and the Centre in recent years and also resulted in misery for Punjabis as funds for health and education sector have been withheld by the Union government. Punjab has also been denied rural development fund (RDF) dues besides unjust extension of central control over the state’s border areas,” he said.