CHANDIGARH: Good marks may not always help, if you are Seeking a seat in an engineering college, But it definitely helps to be a Congressman if you have an eye on the discretionary quota Seats. Or Else you should be an influential person. May be, a journalist.
A large number of persons, nominated by the Punjab Chief Minister, Beant Singh this year, are wards of congressmen. This includes Vibha Sharma, daughter of Congress legislator from Kotkapura, Upinder Sharma, and Swati Sethi, daughter of Vijay Sethi, Congress (I) leader from Jalandhar. Amrit Sharma and Atul Jain are close relatives of Ram Parkash Bali, former MLA from Nangal and Sarhandi Lal Jain, General Secretary of the Hoshiarpur Congress Committee, respectively.
The journalist, who seems to have benefitted from CM’s benevolence, is A.S.Prashar, whose son, Abhishek has been nominated. Others recommended include Kanwar Raj Singh, grandson of Sukhdev Singh, former Vice-chancellor of Punjab Agriculture University Ludhiana.
Two persons, specifically mentioned by the Chief Minister are Baljinder Singh of Rasulpur village in Hoshiarpur District and Gagandeep Singh Aneja, whose father, H.B.S, Amea, is a commandant in CRPF.
The nominations this year are once again a continuation of fast year’s policy. Going by rule, the CM should make nominations only to four seats in Thapar Institute of Engineering, Patiala, besides the 16 seats in engineering colleges outside Punjab.
However, like last year he has already made nominations to the Regional Engineering College, Bathinda, Sources said that more nominations for Bathinda are proposed to be made.
In fact the Congress (I) Government in Punjab has dispensed with the earlier Criteria for nominations, which earmarked seats for deserving sportsmen.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 15, 1993
