Punjab Cabinet: Seven of 11 ministers face criminal cases, nine crorepatis
New Delhi(PTI): Seven of the 11 newly sworn-in ministers in Punjab have declared criminal cases against themselves, with four of them facing serious charges, poll rights group Association for Democratic Reforms said on Monday.
The 11 ministers include Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
Punjab Election Watch and the Association for Democratic Reforms analysed the affidavits of all 11 ministers, including the CM.
The ADR said seven ministers (64 per cent) have declared criminal cases against themselves. Four of them (36 per cent) have declared serious criminal cases against themselves.
Of the 11 ministers, nine are crorepatis and the average of their assets is Rs 2.87 crore. The minister with the highest declared total assets is Bram Shanker (Jimpa) from Hoshiarpur. He has assets worth Rs. 8.56 crore.
Lal Chand from Bhoa (Sc) constituency has the lowest declared total assets worth Rs 6.19 lakh. Nine ministers have declared liabilities.
The minister with the highest liabilities is Bram Shanker, He has liabilities worth Rs 1.08 crore.
The ADR said five ministers (45 per cent) have declared their educational qualification to be between Class 10 and 12 while the rest are graduate or above.
Six ministers (55 per cent) have declared their age to be between 31 and 50 years while five (45 per cent) are aged 51 and 60, the ADR said.
Ten AAP MLAs were sworn in as Punjab ministers on Saturday.
They are Harpal Singh Cheema, Harbhajan Singh, Dr Vijay Singla, Lal Chand, Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, Laljit Singh Bhullar, Bram Shanker Jimpa, Harjot Singh Bains and Dr Baljit Kaur.
Earlier, Bhagwant Mann had taken oath at a programme in Khatkar Kalan, the ancestral village of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh.
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Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk among 120 people from Ladakh detained before entering Delhi
New Delhi, Sep 30: Around 120 people from Ladakh including climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who had marched to the national capital demanding sixth schedule status for the Union Territory, have been detained by the Delhi Police at the city's border, police sources said.
According to Delhi Police sources, the detained people, including Wangchuk, will be taken to different police stations along the city border.
Women participating in the march were not detained, the source said, adding that the detentions were done in view of prohibitory orders banning gatherings of five or more persons in north and central Delhi.
Wangchuk, in a post on Instagram shortly before being detained, shared visuals from the Delhi border, where amid huge police presence their buses were stopped.
The climate activist could be seen interacting with police officials in the video.
In his post, Wangchuk said several vehicles of Delhi Police and Haryana Police were accompanying their buses and while they initially thought they were being escorted, as they approached the national capital, it was clear they were going to be detained.
"As we are approaching Delhi, it appears we are not being escorted, we are being detained," Wangchuk said.
He said around 1,000 police personnel have been deployed at the Delhi border and they have been informed that heavy deployment of security forces has been done at the Ladakh Bhawan in Delhi, and in areas where students from Ladakh reside.
"It appears they don't want to allow this padyatra to take place," he said.
The 'Delhi Chalo Padyatra' was organised by the Leh Apex Body (LAB), which along with Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), are jointly spearheading an agitation over the past four years in support of statehood, extension of the Constitution's sixth schedule, early recruitment process along with a public service commission for Ladakh and separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil districts.
Delhi Police on Monday banned the gathering of five or more persons, people carrying banners, placards arms and or protests in the central part and bordering areas for the next six days in the national capital, citing law and order issues, including calls of protests given by several organisations.
According to an order issued from the Delhi Police Headquarters, Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora has directed to impose the section 163 (which was earlier section 144 of CrPC) of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita in the districts of New Delhi, North and Central and all police stations jurisdiction sharing the borders with other states.
The prohibitory order will remain effective till October 5.
