CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh said his government would put an end to the VIP culture in the state, and put a ban on the use of red beacons on government vehicles. “The VIP culture has eroded the democratic system of the country and alienated the common people from their own leaders, whom they elect with a lot of hope and expectations. I urge public figures to respect people's sentiment,” he said.
Singh also urged all political leaders and others to support the initiative to purge the debt-ridden state of irrelevant power symbols. He said the state can not afford such luxuries and these had no place in a progressive society. The CM also said that every small step would boost the state's fiscal health and bringing it back on the road to prosperity.
“My government was committed to demolish the VIP culture in the state, as mandated by the Congress manifesto. Such VIP frills were a legacy of the pre-independence era and had no place in a democratic and progressive society like ours,” he said.
Singh also met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, putting forward the loan waiver issue of farmers in the state. “I mentioned the debt waiver issue to the Prime Minister. It was an extension of the demand we made earlier when we had gone to meet the Prime Minister as part of a Congress delegation led by party vice-president Rahul Gandhi. I said the debt loan waiver should be extended to Punjab farmers along the lines of Uttar Pradesh.”
He also spoke on cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu's decision to continue with his regular appearance in a comedy television show. “He is earning his own keep. What objection can we have to someone earning his own money by his own means? People can have professions and run businesses. However, we have asked the Punjab Advocate General Ashok Aggarwal for an opinion and may change Sidhu's portfolio as Culture and Tourism Minister, if we are advised to.”
