Battle to ‘dislodge’ Oppn from Punjab Bhawan

Chandigarh : The thought of gaining power can corrupt too. Or so it seems. As many as 16 sitting Congress MLAs, former MLAs and senior leaders, lobbying for the party ticket, have laid a ‘siege’ to the Punjab Bhawan in Delhi. Not willing to concede defeat to the “Opposition” just as yet, the ruling dispensation in Punjab has closed ranks to oust the “illegal” occupants.In this battle for control, a senior IAS officer has been made the scapegoat.
A media adviser, special principal secretary and kin of an officer on special duty with the Deputy Chief Minister were aghast to find there were no rooms for them at the Punjab Bhawan. They had accompanied the minister for a summit in Delhi.
The three raised the issue with the powers-that-be, complaining that “anticipating a change of regime in Punjab, the officers were switching loyalties”. Peeved at Resident Commissioner K Siva Prasad’s inability to allot rooms to the “Deputy CM’s men”, the officer was transferred to Punjab as Sugarfed MD even though top officials insist that the transfer was a “routine” one. As for the “illegal occupants”, the government has started serving them notices, asking them to vacate their rooms immediately or pay a penal rent of Rs 3,000 per day. Hospitality Department officials confirmed that notices had indeed been served on leaders “illegally occupying rooms”.
The drama began unfolding early this month with Congress ticket aspirants booking rooms in Blocks A and B. With the Congress high command delaying an announcement on ticket allotment, these Congressmen chose to remain put, opting not to check out even while visiting their constituencies back home.