Photo Source: Babushahi Bureau
SAD's Arshdeep Kler questions appointment of CS as Planning and Development Board Chairman
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, June 22, 2025: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Chief Spokesperson Arshdeep Singh Kler on Saturday strongly objected to the Punjab Cabinet’s decision to appoint the Chief Secretary as Chairman of the state’s development authorities, replacing the Chief Minister in that role.
“In the structure of the Development Authority Board, the Chief Minister of Punjab is the designated Chairman and ministers are official members. But shockingly, the Punjab Cabinet has removed the CM from this constitutional position and handed over the chairmanship to the Chief Secretary,” Kler said.
Terming the move "wrong and undemocratic," Kler added, “This is not just an administrative reshuffle. It is a direct insult to the authority of an elected representative. The will of the people has been sidelined in favor of bureaucratic control.”
He further alleged that the decision is part of a larger agenda to transfer real power from Punjab’s elected government to Delhi.
“This is yet another step in Arvind Kejriwal’s attempt to seize control of Punjab through backdoor channels. It clearly shows that Punjab is being governed remotely by non-Punjabis,” Kler charged.The SAD has demanded an immediate rollback of the decision and urged all democratic forces to oppose what it calls an unconstitutional power grab.
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