CHANDIGARH: After failing to address the problems of NRIs through NRI Sammelans and foreign jaunts, the SAD-BJP government led by Parkash Singh Badal is ready to play another gimmick of NRI Sangat Darshan, a term derived from 'Sangat Darshan' run by Chief Minister to befool the people of Punjab.
The opposition parties have slammed Badal for injecting corruption in the Panchayati system by distribution development funds directly to Sarpanches through Sangat Darshan, a duty which a Block Development Officer should do. Now it is the turn of NRIs to befooled. Punjab Government's efforts tyo reach out to NRI's had miserably failed in the past due to non-performance of NRI minister Mr. Bikram Singh Majithia and rise of land mafia which is targeting NRI properties in Punjab.
Punjab Government had held two NRI Sammelans one in Chandigarh in 2007 and second in Jalandhar in 2013 where personal friends and relatives of NRI minister and Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Sukhbir Singh were entertained at the public expenses. Not even a single NRI investment was made in Punjab. The deteriorating law and order situation has frustrated the NRIS who found land mafia grabbing their properties and getting them booked in false criminal cases. Many NRIs in the recent past had held press conferences blaming senior ministers including present NRI affairs minister Tota Singh for helping land mafia.
Sukhbir Singh Badal had categorically assured NRIs during NRI Sammelan that SAD-BJP government would watche their interest and their properties would be protected from land mafia. However total opposite happened to NRIS who felt cheated by the present government.
The idea of holding NRI Sangat Darshan is an ill advised move. It gives an impression that the regular system of removing grievances of NRIs has failed and there is no official channels to deliver justice to the aggrieved diaspora. Insstead of removing bottlenecks and punishing the police and civil officers who are hand in glove with the land mafia, the Chief Minister has chosen to hold private meetings with the NRIs. It is expected that NRI Sangat Darshan would be a stage managed event like NRI sammelans. It would not serve any purpose except for wasing time and public funds.
Punjab government has failed to fulfill single promise it had made with the NRIs in the past seven years. Promise of issuing identity cards to NRIs sot hat they could avail special facilities and concessions proved a big gimmick. Many NRIs in the NRI Sammelan had asked Sukhbir Badal to improve law and order and traffic problems in Punjab. He had failed on both the fronts. The rising highway robberies and thefts, the cases of kidnapping and land grabbing has eroded the faith of NRIs and local residents in this government. The NRIs in the last Lok Sabha election supported Aam Aaadmi Party (AAP) which is major worry for SAD-BJP government. The NRIs are not in favour of SAD returning to power in 2017.
Instead of layhing red carpet for selected NRIs, Badal should take steps to stop political interference in police working which is main reason of rising crime, emergence of land mafia beside drug menace in Punjab. NRI Sanghat Darshan being held at Moga, Jalandhar and Ludhiana on December 26, January 16 and 17, 2015 respectively would be another blunder in the absence of any commitment of doing service to people.