Chandigarh Confidential

‘Priced’ state guests

Punjab’s hospitality now has a price tag. It starts at Rs 135 and ends at a whooping Rs 5.69 lakh. This was precisely the spending range of state government when it played host to 19 visiting NRI Members of Parliament and Legislative Assembly last year. The red carpet rolled out for former Canadian Member of Parliament Ruby Dhalla cost the state Rs 5.69 lakh,a third of the total bill of Rs 17.93 lakh footed by the state on the 19 state guests. Next was Gurbax Malhi,another MP from Canada,who cost the state Rs 2.31 lakh. Wondering as to what was the minimum? It was Rs 135 spent on refreshments of one Manpreet Singh Bains,a guest from United Arab Emirates. This included Rs 20 for breakfast,Rs 35 for dinner and free stay at Punjab Bhawan. Did it have anything to do with their first names?

Captain ji,hanji Sukhbir ji

Not long ago,they loved to mock each other as cats and rats. That was during the 2007 Punjab elections when Punjab Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh had called Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal,then a MP,a baloongra (male kitten) and Sukhbir had threatened to unleash rats in the captain’s pajamas. But as political temperatures are beginning to soar in the state,the two played uber cool at a recent private party in the capital. Sukhbir,who spoke first,called Amarinder “Congress pardhan maharajji”. In turn,Amarinder reciprocated by calling the Deputy CM Sukhbirji. Earlier,they also hugged each other and made some polite talk. Till polls do them part!

Taking cue from Gadkari

Regional political leaders taking cues from their national leaders is something not unheard of. But Punjab Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh apparently does not mind taking cues from national leaders of opposition parties,too. So,days after BJP national president Nitin Gadkari hit national headlines for equating Sonia Gandhi’s resolve to fight corruption with that of Pakistan’s talk of fighting terror,Amarinder came up with this gem: “Akalis protesting against corruption is like Al Qaeda denouncing terror.” While the statement left the Akalis seething,many in the BJP couldn’t help but admire the deft move on Captain’s part.

Blue-eyed ‘Laal’

The credit for his recent ascent in the Congress ranks is now also being attributed to numerology. Though a veteran in politics,MLA Lal Singh is known as one among the blue-eyed boys of Capt Amarinder Singh. Now Singh has added bulk to his old name through an additional ‘a’. So the board outside his office at the Congress Bhawan now reads Laal Singh. But while Singh has a changed name,many others are not happy about how their original names are spelt in the media. For the record,Industries Minister Tikshan Sud says it is Sud not Sood. Similarly,Food and Civil Supplies Minister Adaish Pratap Singh Kairon says his name has always been Adaish and not Adesh. Also,Punjab Chief Secretary S C Agrawal is not Aggarwal and so on. Take note before they see red.