In a bid to ensure better coordination between the ruling party and the state government, and to further expedite the implementation of the various government programmes and reform initiatives, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu on Friday agreed to set up a 10-member ‘Strategic Policy Group’.

To be headed by the CM, the Group will have local government minister Brahm Mohindra, finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal and social security minister Aruna Chaudhary as members, along with Sidhu, the four-party working presidents – Kuljit Singh Nagra, Sukhwinder Singh Danny, Sangat Singh Gilzian and Pawan Goel, besides Pargat Singh.

The decision was taken this morning when Sidhu, along with Nagra and Pargat, called on the CM to discuss Punjab-related issues and steps to strengthen party-government coordination. The Group will hold weekly meetings, in consultation with other ministers, experts, etc as may be required. It will discuss and review the progress of the various state government initiatives already under implementation, and will also suggest measures to expedite the same.

In another decision, Amarinder has also assigned his cabinet colleagues the task of being available in Punjab Congress Bhawan every day, by rotation, for meetings with MLAs and other party functionaries to discuss issues relating to their constituencies and address any grievances. One minister each will be available at the Congress Bhawan from Monday for three hours (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.), and in any case, the minister deputed for a particular day is unable to make it for some reason, he or she would arrange for a substitute in consultation with any other minister.

The arrangement will be in place five days a week, from Monday to Friday, said the CM, adding that this will help in better coordination between his government and party functionaries in the run-up to the 2022 Assembly elections.

Earlier, in a letter to the CM, Sidhu said Punjab Congress workers are the backbone of our party, whose persistence, hard work, and dedication led us to a sweeping victory in the 2017 elections. He said there are issues of dire importance to the people of Punjab, which are brought to the notice of the party on a daily basis. “These can be effectively resolved if ministers of our Cabinet may sit in Punjab Congress Bhawan, Chandigarh on basis of one minister a day,” he said.