Cheema takes over as Deputy Chairman, 20 Point Prog Committee

Dehradun: BJP MLA from Kashipur, Harbhajan Singh Cheema today took charge as Deputy Chairman of Twenty Point Programme Implementation Committee here today. Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, who was present at the Secretariat on the occasion, congratulated Cheema on the occasion and expressed hope that Cheema would steer Twenty Point Programme works to new direction in the state.
Sources added that Cheema had been granted the status of Cabinet Minister. It would be recalled that the post had the status of a Cabinet Ranked Minister during the Congress rule and Satpal Maharaj had held the post. However, soon after BC Khanduri took over as the Chief Minister, all Lal Batti posts including the constitutional ones were denied the rank equivalent to Cabinet or MoS. Manohar Kant Dhyani was appointed by Khanduri as MoS and Mohan Singh Gaonwasi was appointed as Deputy Chairman of State Planning Commission. Mohan Singh Gaonwasi had refused to take over as he had demanded the rank equivalent to the Cabinet Minister. Consequently, Dhyani was appointed as Deputy Chairman of 20 Point Programme Implementation Committee also.
Cheema, who had been demanding inclusion as Cabinet Minister in the Nishank Government as not only he was second time MLA and the only minority community member in BJP in the state but US Nagar also did not have any representation in the Government. He had all along been a rebel and a staunch supporter of Bhagat Singh Koshiyari. He had refused all other assignments offered to appease him in the past.
Now that Cheema had agreed to accept the post of Deputy Chairman of Twenty Point Programme Implementation Programme, the post has again elevated to the status of Cabinet Minister