In the CM’s office, all senior bureaucrats were shocked when Bhagwant Mann announced yesterday that the ethanol plant at Mansurwala village would be closed.
Chief Secretary VK Janjua and the CM met for a brief meeting before the announcement was made. There was no other officer taken into confidence before CM Mann made his formal announcement, according to high-level sources in the CMO.
There was a lot of confusion about how the decision was taken and how to proceed on procedural, administrative, and legal grounds, according to legal and administrative experts.
In their view, the announcement was meaningless because the matter was sub judice before the Punjab and Haryana High Court and the National Green Tribunal.
In the CMO, sources said that the Chief Minister had studied the matter in great detail before making a decision. Additionally, Mann consulted with legal experts, who recommended closing the Zira ethanol plant.”
The Punjab and Haryana High Court is yet to settle some issues in the ongoing case. According to the sources, the decision’s paperwork is being finalized.
A report from Ferozepur indicates that no officer at the district headquarters was consulted before the Chief Minister’s decision was made.
Despite protesters’ elation, the Sanja Morcha said it was not in a hurry to lift the dharna. Protesters also demanded the withdrawal of FIRs registered against the agitators and the return of the “fards” (land records) attached by the administration.
