108’ AMBULANCES IN PUNJAB NOT TO CARRY CM’S PICTURE AS CAPT AMARINDER ISSUES NECESSARY ORDERS

In another step towards eliminating the VVIP culture in the state, Captain Amarinder Singh has ordered immediate steps to ensure that the photograph of the Chief Minister is not carried on `108’ ambulances which were in the eye of the storm during the Badal regime due to the huge losses incurred by the state for keeping his pictures.
          Parkash Singh Badal’s fixation for having his picture embossed on these ambulances had cost the state exchequer heavily over the years and had even led to a stand-off with the central government in 2013, when the latter had threatened to stop a Rs 3.5 crore central grant to the state over the issue.
          The issue had snowballed into a major controversy two years ago when the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) rapped the Punjab government for forgoing central grants under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) on account of its refusal to remove Badal’s pictures from the emergency ambulances.
          In its 2015 report, CAG had said that Punjab had lost out Rs 23.8 crore of central grant for ambulances over three fiscals from 2012 over its failure to follow a prescribed uniform colour code of the NRHM.
          In his directives to the concerned officials here on Monday, Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh ordered a fresh notification to ensure that no pictures of the Chief Minister are carried on the ambulances in future. It is notable that Captain Amarinder’s pictures were not put on these ambulances after he took over as Chief Minister.
          An official spokesperson said the Chief Minister had made it clear that he wanted the process to be initiated without delay and ensure that the ambulances align completely to the NRHM rules.
          The move to remove the Chief Minister’s picture from `108’ ambulances follows a series of other initiatives already taken by the Captain Amarinder government to wipe out the VVIP culture, which include removal of red beacons from VVIP vehicles. The Congress government had, soon after coming into power, rolled out the process of implementing its manifesto promises to end the VVIP culture, putting a ban on coloured beacons except as exempted and also on inscription of names of ministers, MLAs etc on inauguration plaques and foundation stones.