14 august 2024 : In a remarkable development, Governor Gulab Chand Kataria convened a meeting today with all Administrative Secretaries of the state. Although there has been no formal communication from the ruling Aam Aadmi Party government, this gathering has instigated a sense of “unease in the corridors of power at the Punjab Civil Secretariat.”
The Governor reportedly refrained from making any negative remarks regarding the state government. Instead, he inquired about the status of various centrally sponsored schemes and requested information on the extent of funds utilized by the departments overseen by the Administrative Secretaries.
Each Secretary was invited to deliver a brief address on the matter. Furthermore, the Governor is said to have urged all officials to conduct their duties with integrity and in service of the public interest. The previous day, he met with officials from Central Government departments, including the National Highways Authority of India, to discuss the reasons behind delays in highway construction within the state.
Historically, there have been no instances of the Governor summoning government officials for such meetings, with the exception of periods of Governor’s rule when previous Governors directly organized similar gatherings.
Governor Kataria, who has extensive experience as a minister in Rajasthan, had also frequently held meetings with officials during his tenure as Governor of Assam.
During today’s meeting, he requested information regarding ex-servicemen residing in villages along the International Border from the Defence Welfare Department. Additionally, he sought updates on vacant Vice-Chancellor positions in state-run universities from the Secretary of the Higher Education Department.
As reported by The Tribune, notifications for the meeting were dispatched to 28 Administrative Secretaries, along with Chief Secretary Anurag Verma and Special Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister VK Singh, the evening prior.
A total of twenty-five Secretaries were present at the meeting. Unfortunately, both Verma and Singh were unable to attend due to a prior engagement with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann concerning the Cabinet meeting set for Wednesday morning. It has been reported that the Chief Secretary, however, paid a courtesy visit to Governor Kataria at Punjab Raj Bhawan earlier today.
During this visit, the Governor is said to have informed the officers, “Review meetings pertaining to central development initiatives and public welfare programs will be conducted periodically. I will serve as a liaison between the Centre and the state.”