Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has asserted his government’s commitment to eliminate VIP culture in the state, and has urged all political leaders and others to support the initiative to purge the debt-ridden state of irrelevant power symbols, which it could ill-afford and which had no place in a progressive society.Pointing to the humungous debt inherited by his government, Captain Amarinder said every small step would count in boosting the state’s fiscal health and bringing it back on the road to prosperity. Reacting to reports of certain individuals refusing to let go of the red beacon status symbol, the chief minister said his 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, said the chief minister in a statement issued through his office. He urged all his colleagues in the government and in the party, as well as other elected representatives entitled to such privileges, not to make it an issue of prestige but to look at it as a small gesture of gratitude to the people for electing them to power.
The VIP culture, said Captain Amarinder, had eroded the democratic systems of the country and alienated the common people from their own leaders, whom they elect with a lot of hope and expectations. He urged the public figures to respect people’s sentiment, saying such gestures would convey to the people the accessibility and availability of their leaders.Reiterating his government’s commitment to implementing all the poll manifesto promises and the subsequent cabinet decisions in letter and in spirit, Captain Amarinder said it was not things like red beacon lights but hard work, commitment and sincerity that were the harbingers of popularity and public respect. Pointing out that Punjabis had always been at the forefront of positive change and revolution, the chief minister exhorted all MLAs, ex MLAs and other elected leaders to set an example for the rest of the country to follow by shedding the VIP culture. Besides removal of red beacons from VIP vehicles, the government has initiated several other measures to rid the state of such symbolism, which Captain Amarinder said would be implemented in toto. He added that these far-reaching changes would not only help the political leadership to connect better with their electorate at the grassroots but also lead to considerable monetary savings for the cash-starved state exchequer.