Punjab govt gives ministrial bunglows to Bitta, Barnala

CHANDIGARH: Punjab government has created yet another controversy by allotting ministrial bunglows in Sector 39 of Chandigarh to Maninderjit Singh Bitta president of Anti-terrorist Front and Surjit Singh Barnala Governor of Tamil Nadu.

The Chandigarh administration had last month cancelled the bunglows allotted to both Bitta and Barnala for allotment to two Punjab and Haryana High Court. The administration had allotted one bunglows in sector 3 from HC quota to Satpal Gosain deputy speaker of Punjab Vidhan Sabha following which judges were given two bunglows in sector 7.

Bitta was recently in news for highlighting the issue of alleged marriage of Pak journalist Aroosa Alam with former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh. Bitta had accused that Arrosa was an ISI agent and here relations with Amarinder Singh are security threat to nation.

It is understood that SAD-BJP government had given house to Bitta to reward him for raising the Aroosa Alam case. Interestingly, the earlier house allotted to  Bitta has already been challenged in High court through a PIL. bitta has got Z plus security cover and house has been allotted to him on security grounds. Bitta also occupies a posh government bunglow in Delhi for similar reason.

The house to Bitta and Barnala were allotted at a time when three parliamentary secretaries are still waiting for a house in the sector 39 ministrial complex.

Chief secretary justified the allotment saying that Bitta got the house on grounds of security, while for Barnala, the Punjab government had a policy of accommodating former CMs in government houses. "We have one more house which would be allotted to one of the chief parliamentary secretaries, while the other two would be accommodated in sector 39 out of the houses available with the state," he stated.