Ready to meet Canadian PM, but not his ministers: Captain Amarinder Singh
Punjab CM Amarinder Singh Punjab CM Amarinder Singh
Ahead of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s India visit, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Saturday said he was ready to meet Trudeau but not his ministers.
Talking to select mediapersons, Amarinder said, “Trudeau is a nice man. Everybody likes him. He is most welcome to come to Punjab. I am ready to meet him. I have no issues with him. I have issues with some of his ministers.”
He said he had written to the Government of India that he was ready to meet him. “If he comes with his ministers, I will not meet the ministers. But I am ready for a one-on-one with the Candian PM,” he said while responding to a query that several ministers, branded “radicals” by the Punjab CM, were going to accompany him.
Amarinder had opened a front against Canadian ministers of Indian origin Harjit Singh Sajjan and Navdeep Singh Bains.
Amarinder stuck to his stand that he had issues with a few of his ministers because of their “anti-national” agenda. “They cannot create trouble here in Punjab. We have suffered enough. They are still running a campaign on social media. I get to see so much on Facebook. They have something called TV-1984, a name taken from riots,” he said while referring to posts related to Sikh hardliners.
Responding to a question on disclosures made by Rs 1000-crore irrigation scam accused and government contractor Gurinder Singh that he was bribing three Punjab IAS officers and two former ministers, the CM said Vigilance was inquiring into it. “Investigations are on. The report has not come to me yet,” he said.
On his former Chief Principal Secretary Suresh Kumar, whose appointment was set aside by the High Court, the CM said the government was preparing to challenge the court decision. “We will go to the court. He will be working with us. We all are very happy with him. He will be there with the government as long as I am there. He has had enough holiday. He will return to work and that too in the same role.”
The CM said he would be expanding his Cabinet after Ludhiana Municipal Corporation elections and before the Budget Session, likely in second week of March, “I want the ministers in place. Otherwise, handling 40 departments for Budget will be too much for me.”
Rejecting the reports that debt waiver scheme was put on hold, he said they would be rolling out the debt waiver for 3 lakh farmers in the first week of March.
Amarinder also rejected allegations of violation of the rules or conflict of interest in his Siswan land deal. “Is the Chief Minister not allowed to purchase land?” he asked. He said he had paid higher than the circle rates to purchase the land in question since the owner was not willing to sell the said plot. “I actually paid double the amount of DC rate and purchased the land at Rs 60 lakh per acre. What would you do if they are not willing to sell? You will offer them higher.”
He said he would construct a farmhouse by covering only 2 per cent area under construction, as per the rules. “We are planting 32 varieties of fruit trees, some of them will be fruiting as early as next year as we are transplanting fully grown trees. I cannot plant saplings and then wait for fruition.”
He said he already owned 15 acres in Majri village, which he had purchased about 25 years ago. That piece of land was subject to restrictions under PLPA and continued to remain so.
Speaking on Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu’s outburst against the CM for not involving him on choice of Mayors, Amarinder said, “I have no issue with him. He had lunch with me today. About the selection of Mayors, it is a party’s prerogative. Local Bodies Minister is of the government. Whatever the government will do in his department, he would be involved.”
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