Rajmeet Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 20

Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh today said he would seek the opinion of Advocate-General, Punjab, on his Cabinet colleague Navjot Singh Sidhu appearing on a TV show. The entertainment industry comes under the Tourism and Culture Ministry. Sidhu is Local Bodies, Tourism  and Culture Minister, Punjab. In an interview with a TV channel, Amarinder Singh said he had cordial ties with Sidhu, but his association with the entertainment industry would have to be looked into as Sidhu was a minister now.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)Sidhu had told the media earlier he would continue to appear in the entertainment show, but would ensure it did not create any hindrance to his work as minister.

Halqa in-charge system goes

Shift officers ‘favoured’ by Akali govt, say Punjab Cong leaders

Jupinderjit Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 20

Dismantling the police structure put in place by the SAD-BJP government, the Capt Amarinder Singh-led Congress government in Punjab today ordered the end of the controversial “halqa in-charge system” that had enabled Akali leaders to influence police functioning in their Assembly constituencies.

Edit: Well begun

At a meeting with senior officers here, Amarinder said the DCs, SSPs, SDMs and area SHOs would be held accountable for any failure to check drugs, corruption and mafia in their jurisdictions. Making clear that he meant business, Amarinder said he was aware of complaints of corruption against field officers holding various ranks, including that of DSP and SHO.These directions come amid growing disquiet among Congress leaders who want police officials who were favoured by the earlier SAD-BJP dispensation to be  shifted. These leaders have reportedly met the CM against the officers posted in Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Khanna and Patiala. “An IG-rank official, known as ‘Jathedar IG’, continues to hold an important posting,” pointed out one of them.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)Also, officers who had “manhandled” Congress leaders in Ludhiana during a “Chitta Ravana” protest, have been posted back in the district. Two officers, known to be close to the Akalis, are heading the district police as SSP.  Sources said the CM was yet to take a call on the matter, adding that he usually stood by his decisions. Already, the CM has shown faith in the DGP, Suresh Arora, who was appointed to the post by the earlier government, disregarding the fact that the husband of one of his party MLAs was a candidate for the post.