Chandigarh: The Punjab government on Thursday appointed former additional chief secretary of Delhi Satya Gopal as chairman of the coveted Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA). Following this, opposition has corned the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government on this issue.
Gopal was supposed to assume charge as RERA chairman today, however, following massive outcry by opposition, he deferred his joining today.
Earlier, SAD chief Sukhbir Badal attacked the AAP over Goyal’s appointment and called Mann rubber stamped CM of Punjab.
Bholath Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira wrote on Twitter, “Bhagwant Mann has proved worse than Parkash Singh Badal and Capt Amarinder whom he accuses of having played fixed match. At least they didn’t “import” non-Punjabis to rule over Punjabis. Rajya Sabha/RERA appointments should shake the conscience of every conscientious Punjabi.”
While expressing a strong condemnation over the appointment of retired Delhi bureaucrats as chairman and member of the Punjab Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA), Senior Congress Leader and Punjab’s Leader of Opposition (LoP), Partap Singh Bajwa on Friday said that he doubted the intention of the Aam Aadmi Party behind these appointments.
Bajwa said that both former additional chief Secretary of Delhi Satya Gopal, who has been appointed as chairman of Punjab RERA, and retired IRS officer Rakesh Goyal, who has been appointed as a member of Punjab RERA are close confidants of the Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo, Arvind Kejriwal.
LoP in a statement said that real estate is considered to be one of the most lucrative ventures in the state.
“I have serious doubts that the senior leadership of AAP sitting in Delhi has an eye on the profitable businesses of Punjab so that they could amass the party funds, which is perhaps required for the party expansion in other states. Previously, the party had chosen two big businessmen from Punjab for the Rajya Sabha. Reasons for their nominations to the RS are very well known to the Punjabis”, Bajwa added.
LoP said that Raghav Chadha and Sandeep Pathak, who had zero contribution to Punjab, were AAP’s Rajya Sabha members from Punjab.
“People of Punjab also remember that Bhagwant Mann was not the first choice of the AAP national convener, Arvind Kejriwal for the Punjab CM’s position. He opted for Mann at the last moment when no other alternative was left”, added Bajwa.