Majithia incommunicado, claims PPCC chief Bajwa

Friday, 27/06/2014

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2014/20140627/punjab.htm#5

Chandigarh : The continued absence of the Revenue, Information and Public Relations Minister, Bikram Singh Majithia, from the state has raised several eyebrows.

Majithia has been keeping a low profile since the Lok Sabha elections results on May 16. He has not been seen much in the Civil Secretariat. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had marked him absent during a, inspection on June 17.

Though the Public Relations Minister is suppose to be the face of the government, Majithia’s whereabouts remain cloaked in secrecy.

Partap Singh Bajwa, president, Punjab Pardesh Congress Committee (PPCC) cjief, said he had tried to get in touch with the minister on the Punjabis stuck in the war-torn Iraq, but he was incommunicado.”The state is facing a crisis but the Information Minister is enjoying a holiday abroad. Even the Deputy Chief Minister is away,” he remarked.

Majithia’s personal staff said he was abroad while an official handling the media claimed he was in New Delhi. However, there have been no press notes or pictures about his meeting with any the Union Minister or his attending a function or a meeting for the past almost three weeks.

The PWD Minister, Janmeja Singh Sekhon, who had also been found absent from work by the Chief Minister, had sent a clarification that he was abroad and that he had sought approval from the Chief Minister and informed the Union Ministry of External Affairs about it.

After persistent questioning, Majithia’s personal staff claimed that he was on leave and would be back later this week or early next week. A press statement by Sarbjit Singh Sabi, District Youth Akali Dal, Hoshiarpur, said Majithia was on a “well-deserved leave” after hectic electioneering.

An official statement claimed that Majithia had taken leave as per the official process.

Silent on his whereabouts, it claimed Majithia was the first leader to have approached the families of the youths trapped in Iraq. Further queries revealed that he had cleared some files on June 7.

Six Congress MLAs are also on a holiday abroad. They are Surinder Dawar, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Randeep Singh Nabha, Ramanjit Singh Sikki, Aruna Chowdhry and Gurkirat Singh Kotli.

Where is the minister?

"The state is facing a crisis but the state Information Minister is enjoying a holiday abroad. Even Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal is away" — Partap S Bajwa, ppcc chief Keeping low profile

Majithia’s personal staff claimed he was on leave and woud be back later this week

Sarbjit Sabi, Hoshiarpur District Youth Akali Dal, said Majithia was on ‘well-deserved leave’

Silent on his whereabouts, a press note claimed that Majithia was on leave

It claimed he was the first leader to have approached the families of youths trapped in Iraq

Sources said Majithia had cleared certain files on June 7