CHANDIGARH: Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu is yet to receive his salary and other perks as an MLA from the time he has resigned from the Punjab cabinet in July. Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on July 20 this year had accepted Sidhu's resignation.
The finance department of the state cabinet that deals with these transactions sanctioned Sidhu's salary for 20 days in July. From hereon, he was supposed to be paid by the Punjab Vidhan Sabha as he's only an MLA now. However, it has been four months and 22 days since the resignation, and Sidhu has still not been paid a single penny till date.
Sources in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha claim that as per their record, Sidhu is still a cabinet minister as the concerned department has not yet given a copy of his resignation. The officials in the cabinet claim otherwise stating that the copy of the notification has been already sent to the Vidhan Sabha.
Sidhu is yet to receive Rs 85,000 in total besides an MLA flat, petrol and phone allowances and an official vehicle, said sources.
The former cabinet minister had promised to take care of the families of 60 victims of Amritsar rail tragedy last year. From adopting families which lost their earning member to bearing their monthly expenses for food, Sidhu had even promised to help them get free education and a government job for the next of kin.
The families which have not received anything till date are protesting against him. Accusing politicians of playing with their sentiments, they are sitting on a dharna at the Bhandari Bridge in Amritsar in the chilly weather.