Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday lambasted two of the rebel ministers Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa and Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, for demanding creation of Batala as the 24th district of Punjab through a joint letter than speaking to him in the matter.

Amarinder said the demand for declaring Batala as a district was already under consideration and a final decision would be taken after due consideration of various issues involved.

He had received a similar representation from another Congress leader last month and was looking into the matter, said the Chief Minister, in response to the demand raised by his cabinet colleagues Bajwa and Randhawa.

“Further, there have been some reports in the media over the past few days indicating that citizens of Batala have also publicly raised the demand for a new district to be carved out of their region,” he pointed out.

The CM expressed surprise that neither Tript nor Sukhjinder had seen the reports in the public domain nor deemed it fit to discuss the issue with him before shooting off a joint letter in this manner. “Had they come to me and spoken about it, I would have told them that I am already looking into the matter, and would have even consulted them in this regard,” quipped Captain Amarinder, taking a dig at the two ministers.

Bajwa and Randhawa are part of the group of ministers who have opened a revolt against the chief minister expressing their total “lack of faith” in him. They also demanded Amarinder’s removal saying he failed to fulfil some key poll promises.

Amarinder said Rajya Sabha member Pratap Singh Bajwa, had already demanded a district status for Batala, in his letter dated 11 August 2021 and had cited Batala’s historic importance and its connection with Guru Nanak Dev, who had married Mata Sulakhni here in 1487.

The CM said he was cognisant of Batala’s significance to Punjab’s history and culture, as well as the public sentiment. He would discuss the issue with various stakeholders before taking a decision, he added.

His government, said Amarinder, had identified as many as 103 places in 79 villages & 24 Towns, blessed with Guru Sahib’s visit (Charan Chhoh) during his lifetime. Funds had been allocated and efforts were being made to ensure development of each of them in different ways, he said, adding that a lot of thinking and consultation had gone into the process.

The CM further said that steps were continuously being taken to explore ways to ensure the infrastructural development and progress of all the historic towns and places in the state, especially those which are in any way linked to any of the Gurus. He would do everything in his power to ensure that Batala also gets its due, he added.