Manpreet Badal faces babus’ ire over ‘English writing’ remark
Tuesday, 13/03/2018
https://dailypost.in/news/punjab/manpreet-badal-babus-ire-english-writing/
Chandigarh – State Finance Minister’s Manpreet Singh Badal’s remark that most IAS officers in Punjab lack proficiency in English has created furore in the bureaucratic circles. Addressing the concluding session of the World Punjabi Conference in Chandigarh on Sunday, Manpreet had said, “Barring one or two, other IAS officers don’t know how to write correct English. They don’t know how to write a letter. When I read letters and memorandum written by them to the Union government, I hang my head in shame. How have they passed IAS (examination).”
Though no IAS officer was willing to react on record, they appeared dejected that they were ‘insulted’ by the minister. Terming the minister’s remark unwarranted, an IAS officer, on the condition of anonymity, said, “We don’t understand his (Manpreet’s) Urdu-laced Punjabi.” The remark also led to a heated discussion on various social media groups of IAS officers in which everyone wanted to know the two officers who according to the FM knew English. “We can learn from them,” wrote an IAS officer. Punjab president of IAS of – ficers KBS Sidhu refused to Comment saying ‘everyone in the country has a freedom of speech.’ An IAS officer said the association was planning to react to the ‘insulting comment of the minister.
