Chandigarh, April 23, 2018: Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday issued notice to Union of India and State of Punjab after hearing the plea against recent expansion of Punjab Cabinet.
The plea came up for hearing before Division Bench comprising Justice AK Mittal and Justice AS Grewal. After hearing the plea, the Bench issued notice for May 9, 2018.
The petition was filed by advocate Jagmohan Singh Bhatti stating that the Cabinet size should be 15 percent of the total strength of the House which in the case of Punjab is 117 members.
The induction of nine new ministers in the Cabinet exceeded this percentage limit, he maintained.
So much so, the Punjab government has already given Cabinet minister rank to its Advocate General which is a Constitutional post.
The petitioner also maintained that the government does not have money to pay DA and arrears to irs employees yet the Cabinet was extended by appointing new ministers which is unconstitutional and amounts to wastage of public money.