A day after the Punjab Government placed under suspension the services of two senior IAS officers over the controversial decision to dissolve 13,000 panchayats prematurely, the file noting emerged on Friday that unequivocally indicate direct involvement of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Rural Development and Panchayats Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar in the decision-making process.
The file notings, which have come to light on Friday morning and went viral in social media, exposed a trail of signatures that point directly to the involvement of the state’s top leadership in taking the decision. The file was initiated on August 3 by the Department’s superintendent, and on the same day, Rural Development and Panchayats director Gurpreet Singh Khaira signed off on it. The following day, on August 4, Principal Secretary DK Tiwari also endorsed the decision.
However, the most crucial endorsements came on August 7, when both the Minister Bhullar and the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann signed and gave their approval for the dissolution of the panchayats.
The development assumed significance as the Minister Bhullar, a day before, had claimed that the Chief Minister ordered strict action against the Panchayat Department’s officers as soon as the matter — to dissolve panchayats — came to his notice.
The State Government, hours after submitting in the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Thursday that it will withdraw August 10 notification of dissolving all the panchayats within two days, suspended two IAS officers — 1994-batch DK Tiwari and 2009-batch Gurpreet Singh Khaira — for “taking a technically flawed decision regarding the dissolution of panchayats.
The suspension orders were issued by Chief Secretary Anurag Verma under provisions of Rule 3 (1) of the All India Services (Disciplined Appeal) Rules, 1969. Bhullar, however, did not say why it took three weeks to act against the two officers and why the suspension order was issued only after the government took a U-turn in the High Court.
The revelation has sent shockwaves across the political spectrum in Punjab, as it unravels a narrative that appears to show that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Government’s top officials were directly responsible for the controversial move to dissolve the panchayats. The government had, a day before, suspended two IAS officers — DK Tiwari and Gurpreet Singh Khaira — citing a “technically flawed decision” regarding the dissolution.
Opposition parties, sensing an opportunity to corner the government, swiftly targeted the Chief Minister Mann for his alleged role in approving the decision to dissolve the panchayats prematurely. The opposition leaders accused the Chief Minister of orchestrating a cover-up by making the bureaucracy a scapegoat while shielding the real culprits.
Senior leaders from the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Congress have demanded the resignation of both the Chief Minister and the Rural Development Minister, accusing them of undermining democracy and manipulating the system.
The “leaked” file notings have amplified the embarrassment for the AAP-led Punjab Government, as it now faces questions about its transparency and accountability. The decision to reverse the orders on panchayat dissolution has further intensified scrutiny, as the Government will now have to respond to allegations that senior IAS officers were unfairly suspended while the real decision-makers escaped accountability.
At the time of the leak, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was reportedly away in Mumbai, participating in a meeting of the Opposition bloc I.N.D.I.A. His absence amid this brewing political storm only adds to the intrigue.
The political fallout from this scandal is expected to escalate, as the Opposition demands answers and accountability from the government. The Opposition’s allegations of manipulation of the democratic process and an abuse of power will undoubtedly remain at the forefront of this contentious issue.
AAP, Govt Defends
As the political storm intensifies over the ‘leaked’ file notings, the ruling AAP is mounting a staunch defense of its leadership. Party’s chief spokesperson Malvinder Singh Kang downplayed the significance of the file notings, asserting that they do not carry substantial weight.
He argued that different organs of the government work collectively to make decisions, and sometimes, errors or omissions occur. He pointed out that the Panchayats Department had initiated the proposal, and any flaws in the decision-making process were not intentional. Kang emphasized that the government swiftly corrected its course by reviewing and ultimately withdrawing the orders.
A spokesperson in the Chief Minister's Office maintained that both the Chief Minister and the Panchayat Minister had merely approved what the officers had presented in the file. “The officers did not inform the Chief Minister and Minister about any procedural irregularities in the declaration of elections and the dissolution of panchayats,” argued the spokesperson, adding that the embarrassment faced by the government in the Court stemmed from the actions of the officers, and not the elected officials.
Bureaucracy Disturbed
The unfolding controversy has also had a ripple effect within the state bureaucracy, with many officers reportedly claiming that the two “suspended” IAS officers were simply following instructions from their political superiors. The development has caused unease among the state bureaucracy, with many officers expressing anxiety, though in murmurs. Opposition leaders and bureaucrats alike have emphasized that the real culprits behind the decision should be held accountable.
Opposition Targets AAP Govt; Demands CM, Minister’s Resignation
The political battleground in Punjab is heating up as the controversy surrounding the dissolution of 13,000 panchayats deepens, with the Opposition parties accusing the AAP government of attempting to scapegoat senior IAS officers in the matter.
The Opposition parties have launched an aggressive attack on the AAP-led government following the leak of a signed copy of the letter that revealed the involvement of the Chief Minister and Panchayat Minister in the decision to dissolve the panchayats, raising questions about why only the officers are being held responsible while the Minister in charge of the department is spared.
Opposition leaders have been vocal in demanding accountability and resignations from the Chief Minister and the Minister in-charge.
Leader of Opposition in Vidhan Sabha Partap Singh Bajwa labeled the move “shameful” while calling on the Chief Minister to take moral responsibility and resign. “It is shameful that @BhagwantMann who signed off on the decision to dissolve the Panchayats has tried to scapegoat two bureaucrats to protect himself and his Minister. If CM had any morals, it is he who should own moral responsibility & resign forthright!” he tweeted, along with a copy of the file noting.
Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira denounced the Government for making IAS officers scapegoats and urged the bureaucracy not to become part of what he described as unconstitutional actions. Also sharing the copy of the letter, Khaira tweeted, “What a shame for @BhagwantMann & @BhullarLaljit Panchayats Minister to approve dissolution of Panchayats according to official noting doing the rounds on social media and then make IAS officers scapegoats for their foolish actions. I urge the bureaucracy of Punjab not to become part of their unconstitutional designs bcoz they don’t have the courage to defend you and ultimately you’ll have to face the music later-Khaira @INCIndia @INCPunjab”.
Demanding the resignation of both the Chief Minister and the Minister, SAD leader and former minister Bikram Singh Majithia said that the decision was taken by the Chief Minister and the Rural Development Minister, but the officials were made scapegoats.
“The government was in such a hurry to dissolve the panchayats that it was getting the files signed manually…I have also been a minister, no file is cleared so soon,” he said.
He tweeted, “The cat is out of the bag. CM @BhagwantMann & Panchayati Raj minister @Laljitbhullar are responsible for signing & implementing the decision to dissolve panchayats six months before their term in Punjab. The file on this issue was moved by hand with the Director, Panchyati Raj & Financial Commissioner, Development forced to sign the files within two days following which both the Panchayati Raj minister & the CM signed the file on the same day. It is clear the @AAPPunjab govt is trying to make scapegoats of senior IAS officers by suspending them. The real culprits are the Panchyati Raj minister & the CM who backtracked once the Punjab & Haryana high court made it clear it was going to scrap this decision. Considering all facts, it is clear @LaljitBhullar & @BhagwantMann are responsible for killing democracy through this dictatorial decision aimed at usurping Panchayat funds. AAP Convener @ArvindKejriwal shud dismiss them immediately.”
Mincing no words, Majithia said that the Chief Minister was behaving like “modern day Hitler and Saddam Hussain in Punjab” to kill democracy in the state. “He himself dismissed democratically elected 13,000 Sarpanches and 70,000 Panches who were representatives of different sections of society including ladies, Scheduled Castes, Backwards classes besides others. Not AAP government dismissed them but also labelled them as thieves in Punjab and Haryana High Court defending its decision to dissolve Panchayats,” he added.
Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar, castigating the State Government for taking the “unfathomable” decision of dissolving panchayats, demanded that the Chief Minister must admit this grave mistake and apologize to the people of Punjab for this democratic and anti-institutions step.
“This decision could not have never been arrived at by the bureaucracy who are now being blamed to shift the blame," Jakhar said, adding that it is crystal clear that nobody below the Chief Minister could have approved it.
“Oh yes, the decision might have come to the Punjab IAS officers now suspended from the Super Chief Minister from Delhi,” he quipped, while asking the Chief Minister whether the decision was not discussed in the Cabinet Meeting, or was he (Chief Minister) not in know of the decision or was the decision taken solely by the bureaucracy.
Another senior BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa also asked “when would the Chief Minister @BhagwantMann and Minister @Laljitbhullar resign on Panchayat dissolution matter as the notification carries their signs as well?”
“Punjab officials should learn a lesson from this and not fall prey to @AAPPunjab’s unconstitutional actions,” he added.
