Demanding immediate disqualification of the 24 Chief Parliamentary Secretaries (CPSs) of SAD-BJP, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today said that this ‘Army’ of CPSs is not only over-burdened the state ex-chequer rather indulged in the ‘loot’ of the taxpayers’ money.AAP MP Bhagwant Mann said that as per the information obtained under RTI Act the fuel bill of Punjab’s 21 Chief Parliamentary Secretaries is a staggering Rs 1 lakh a day. “Is it not the loot of the State’s coffer? Mann quipped.On the one hand the 21 CPSs, who were not getting even a single penny, were targeted by the BJP, but on the other hand, it allowed the loot by its 24 CPSs in the Punjab.It is pertinent to mention here that as per the constitution no MLA can accept any office of profit other than the post of minister and if he or she accepts, he/she is liable for his/her disqualification of from the assembly.“What is office of profit? Whether AAP CPSs, who were not getting anything or SAD-BJP CPSs, who are looting the state ex-chequer are holding the “Office of Profit”?, Mann quipped further.
“Delhi CPSs get no official car, house, rent allowance, official accommodation or salary from the government. They are working as the volunteers helping in the work of Ministers. “Akali-BJP and Congress leaders have no moral right to talk about this issue as their own CPSs in many states are enjoying govt perks while Delhi CPSs are working for the welfare of people without getting any additional money”, Mann said.AAP MP said that the appointment of these 24 Chief Parliamentary Secretaries is a violation of the Constitution of India. As the article 191 of the Constitution of India says that the member of state legislature will be disqualified if any office of profit is held by such member of state legislature under Government of India or Government of any state.Mann said these 24 Chief Parliamentary Secretaries are unconstitutional burden on the public exchequer as they are being given salaries and other perks more than MLAs of Punjab.
According to the information obtained under the Right to Information Act, Punjab’s Transport Department paid Rs 4.66 crore in 18 months for the fuel bills of the 21 Chief Parliamentary Secretaries. The amount was paid between April, 2014, and October, 2015.Some of the CPSs spent Rs 2 lakh a month on fuel, which means the car they were using ran 600 to 800 km a day. Some CPSs have multiple cars.Desh Raj Dugga, Shiromani Akali Dal MLA from Sri Hargobindpur, tops the list. He spent Rs 2 lakh a month on the fuel for the two cars provided to him by the government. He spent Rs 35 lakh on fuel in 18 months. He is followed by BJP MLA from Jalandhar (North) KD Bhandari, who spent Rs 33 lakh during the same period on his two cars. The Akali Dal MLA from Khem Karan, Virsa Singh Valtoha, spent Rs 29 lakh on one car.The CPSs who spent the lowest on fuel during that period included SAD MLA from Balluana Gurtej Singh Gharyana (Rs 8.89 lakh), SAD MLA from Balachaur Chaudhary Nand Lal (Rs 9.73 lakh) and SAD MLA from Gurdaspur Gurbachan Singh (Rs 13 lakh).When it comes to the limit of paying for the fuel bills of the CPSs, the state government has kept it open. It means they can be paid as much amount as they claim.