Political leaders should ideally be role models for the general public. They are elected by the people to govern and are expected to lead by example. But it seems that some things never change in Punjab.
The cash-strapped Punjab government’s austerity measures are apparently meant only for its employees, who have been told they cannot get leave travel concession (LTC). On the other hand, the Chief Minister is in China along with a large delegation to study pisciculture (fish farming).
The Deputy Chief Minister is scheduled to be in Barcelona (Spain) from November 18 to 20 to participate in World Smart City Expo 2014. He is being accompanied by a Local Government Minister, a Principal Secretary and two Secretaries, one of whom is due to retire in a few weeks. Reports suggest that he has been made part of the delegation against convention.
To circumvent government guidelines on foreign tours, the cost of tours will be borne by the Greater Mohali Development Authority and the Punjab Municipal Infrastructure Development Corporation. The list is long. The Industries Minister is on a tour to Macau while the Agriculture Minister last month returned from Canada where he had gone with a large delegation, costing lakhs of rupees to the state exchequer.
Punjab is facing a severe financial crunch and the government had issued circulars imposing restrictions on ministers, MLAs and bureaucrats to avoid wasteful expenditure. Yet a lot of money is being spent to fly industry leaders to Ranjit Sagar Dam in an effort to promote it as a tourist destination.