In a setback to the Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party government in Punjab, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Friday quashed the appointment of its 18 Chief Parliamentary Secretaries (CPS), who were appointed in April 2012. The verdict came from the division bench comprising Justices SS Saron and Ramendra Jain while pronouncing its judgment reserved on July 28 last year.

Two petitions filed by advocates Jagmohan Singh Bhatti and HC Arora in 2012 had questioned the legal sanctity of Chief Parliamentary Secretaries on the ground that there is no provision for their appointments in the Constitution.

However, the total number of Chief Parliamentary Secretaries in Punjab is 24, which is more than its 18 cabinet ministers, including Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. Six Chief Parliamentary Secretaries were appointed in April this year and the petition challenging their appointment is still pending in the high court. This judgment will also have bearing on the pending petition.

Advocate Bhatti had also filed petition challenging appointment of 4 Chief Parliamentary Secretaries by the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Haryana. This petition is also pending adjudication before the division bench headed by Justice Saron.

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