WON’T BOW BEFORE THE CORRUPT OFFICERS: CM

SAS Nagar: Taking a tough and unprecedented stance against the agitating Tehsildars, the Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Tuesday said that the state government will not bow before corrupt officers, who are facing Police action for their sins.

The Chief Minister, who undertook a whirlwind tour to get the work of registration started at Kharar, Banur and Zirakpur tehsils, said that the Revenue Officers had gone on mass leave in wake of Vigilance action against their corrupt officers. He said that the AAP government has zero tolerance against corruption but ironically by going on mass leave these officers are seeking license for corruption. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that this blackmailing will not be tolerated and severe action will be taken against these corrupt and haughty officers.

The Chief Minister said that their pressure tactics will not be tolerated at any cost and exemplary action will be taken against them. He said the state government will recruit new Tehsildars and Revenue officers in the coming days, the agenda for which will be brought in the Cabinet. Bhagwant Singh Mann unequivocally said that these officers harass the common man on a daily basis but this will no longer be tolerated and the government will take strict action against them.

The Chief Minister said that the officers who are going on mass leave should remember one thing that after they return to work from their leave, when and where they will join will be decided by the people. He said that the state government is ready with plan B for tackling such tantrums and if needed powers of Tehsildars will be delegated to teachers and professors for smooth registration process. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the state government is committed for safeguarding the interests of the common man by all means and no one will be allowed to take them for granted.

The Chief Minister said that in order to ensure that people do not face any sort of inconvenience due to the strike, the PCS officers, Kanugos and Senior Assistants (who have cleared all the departmental exams for promotion to the post of Naib Tehsildars) have been appointed as Sub Registrars to carry on the work smoothly. He said that in democracy people are supreme and his government will not allow anyone, however affluent he may be, to create inconvenience to them. Bhagwant Singh Mann categorically said that the work in Tehsils will not stop and registration of land deeds will be done in an unabated manner.

The Chief Minister said that these people are taking hefty salaries from the state government but they are not delivering the services to the people. He said that this cannot be tolerated because in democracy people are supreme and the officers are accountable to them. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that if these officers want to go on mass leave and don’t want to work then the state government has a number of unemployed youth who are already waiting to work at their place.

The Chief Minister said that for the coming 10 days he will be regularly visiting various tehsils across the state to streamline the work. He said that the Tehsildars have been harassing generations of people by their corrupt ways and means. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that this is completely unwarranted and undesirable adding that the state government cannot sit idly and watch these officers doing their tantrums.

The Chief Minister said that credit war is going amongst the various farmers unions who are trying to create anarchy by running a parallel government. He reiterated that the government is always ready to resolve the issues pertaining to various sections of society through negotiations. However, Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the inconvenience to the common man through rail or road blockades must be avoided.

The Chief Minister said that such action causes problems to the general people due to which they turn against the agitators thereby creating discord in the society. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that unfortunately the common man has to suffer a lot due to such protests which is totally unwarranted and undesirable. He said that though protest is democratic right of the farmers, they should also think that this action is bringing huge loss to the state.

The Chief Minister said that the state government has chalked out a foolproof strategy to curb the menace of drugs. He said that the supply line of the drugs has been snapped and the big fishes have been put behind the bars. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the crusade against the war is going on and no one involved in this heinous crime will be spared.

Citing the example of Narangwal village where illegal property of drug smugglers was razed last week, the Chief Minister said that the properties of the drug smugglers are being confiscated/ razed. He said that the state government has adopted a zero tolerance policy against drugs and a decisive war has been launched to wipe out this menace. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the war against drugs is being transformed into a mass movement so that Punjab can be made completely drug free.