Babus, leaders go vacationing, leaving state to its fate

Chandigarh : Much before the ordinary citizens of the state begin their Chirstmas and New Year celebrations, politicians and bureaucrats of the state alike have gone on a long year-end holiday. The Punjab Civil Secretariat is virtually deserted with many politicians staying away ever since Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal left on a personal foreign trip. Many of the officers, who showed up briefly earlier this month, are now taking it easy with the Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal, too, leaving the country.  This is not all. Those running the government and those assisting them have taken time off, the opposition leaders, too, mainly from the Congress who were visible at rallies and dharnas, are also currently in Delhi attending the two-day Congress plenary. Nearly a dozen MLAs and MPs are currently overseas visiting the residents of their constituencies settled abroad. An equal number, if not more, of bureaucrats are on ex-India leave from now up to the beginning of the next year. Even from among the second-rung leadership, there are very few who are visiting offices or taking care of the normal affairs of the state. America, Canada and Europe happen to be their most favoured destinations.

Chief Minister Badal is currently in the US, accompanying his wife Surinder Kaur, who is undergoing treatment for cancer. His son and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal, too, left for the US via some other countries, accompanied by his family to check on his mother’s health. Some important functionaries attached to the Chief Minister as well as the Deputy Chief Minister, too, are currently away from Chandigarh and are not expected to be back before the end of the year. Most senior Congress leaders like Capt Amarinder Singh, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Mohinder Singh Kaypee, etc are in Delhi. A young Congress MLA summed up the political mood in the state saying, “I am leaving for the US tomorrow as no political activity is expected in the state for the next two or three weeks. Whereas in the US and Canada it is vacation time owing to Christmas and it is good to meet with people from my constituency.”