CHANDIGARH: Owing to delicate security environment, the Congress Government led by M Beant Singh is finding difficult to provide houses to the minister and MLAs even two weeks after its formation. Evidently, event public appears unwilling to help.

‘The problem has been accentuated by the fact that the owners to private houses in this Union the ‘history appear unwilling give the houses on rent owing mainly « the “high security risk” tag that the Congress ministers carry amount their necks.

The state government has received a lukewarm response ever after publishing three newspaper advertisements seeking 26 wok anal private residences to accommodate the ministers. The few offers that the government has received in response to the west have mostly been unsuitable” for security reason. In some cases, the owners have offered to give their houses ‘rent or the condition that they would keep possession of at least ‘one room with the idea of maintaining a “hold on their house. ‘The government has, however, ‘ejected this request citing it as untenable. Of course, in most cases, the owners simply do not feet it is a good idea giving their houses on rent   to ministers

 Unlike the Haryana government, ‘which has built some government houses in Chandigarh’s satellite town of Panchkula (located in Haryana), the Punjab government has not built any new houses for cither its employees or ministers. The Punjab government is also reluctant to find accommodation for the ministers and MLA a in Chandigarh’ other satellite tow ‘of Mohali located in Punjab ‘owing to security reasons.

‘The government is finding i cult to get all the houses a MLAs’ flats meant for minister ‘and MLAs vacated. The over size ministry of27 members has added to the problem.

In addition, there will soon be ‘Speaker, a o be accommodated as chairmen or managing director ‘of various state government beards deputy speaker and chief parliamentary secretary several more Congress MLAs are ‘expected to and corporations which will again involve providing suitable accommodation “commensurate” with their status

‘The Punjab government has in its pool 14 ministerial houses and 38 MLA flats, OF the 14 ministerial houses, two are occupied by judges of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, one by the Punjab Police chief, Mr. K.P.S. Gill, and another by a senior. AS officer ‘who figures very high on the hit list. None of these occupants are being asked to vacate the houses mainly for security reasons. On the other had all the 38 MLAs flat are occupied by ex-MLAS and their supporters, most of whom are Alkali’s, One such Mat, for ‘example, houses the office of the ‘Akali Dal (Mann),

‘Two occupants both senior Punjab Congress leader-haven at only refused to vacate their respective MLAS Mats in possession since 1980, but have also failed to give Rs. 13 lakh each as penalty rent, They are Mrs. Rajinder Kaur Bhattalo, a cabinet minister and Mr Bir Devinder Singh, a defeated Congress assembly candidate.”

Even two weeks after the swearing in of the new government in the state the issue of providing foolproof security to the council of ministers and all the MLAs remains high on the government’s agenda. Security arrangements for them are being further tightened. The government is purchasing 160 new Marui jeeps to one for ‘each MLA and two for every ‘minister. The remaining 16 jeeps will be dept. in “reserve”, Security arrangements have come into special focus keeping in view the assembly session which will be commencing from March 16, ‘The fact that the Haryana assembly session has already begun has added to the headache of the security men, It is no wonder that the administration has Virwally converted the Punjab and Haryana secretariats and the assembly building located opposite ‘each other, into a virtual police camp. Entry of vehicles has been severely restricted High concrete walls and wire and steel pipe barricades have been put up round the two buildings.

Apart from the police chief himself, the Punjab government has an additional director-general of police, at IG, a senior DG and over a dozen SPs and DSP s to look after the security arrangements of the 117 MLAs and ministers.

Another DG is in charge of the security arrangements around their secretariat and the Vidhan Sabha buildings in addition in the Haryana and Chandigarh police officers. For the rest of the state there are about one dozen IGs almost two dozen DIGS, about two dozen district SSPs, and of course innumerable SPs supposedly deeping a check on militancy in the state.

Article extracted from this publication >> March 27, 1992