When Punjab govt snubbed Harmanpreet for a police job

CHANDIGARH: Harmanpreet Kaur is the toast of the nation after her breathtaking 171 not out against Australia in the semifinals of the ongoing ICC Women's Cricket World Cup. For the girl from Moga in Punjab, the rewards and awards are duly pouring in, and will continue after the Lord's final. The Indian cricket board (BCCI) on Saturday also announced a cash award of Rs 50 lakh for each member of the Indian team.

Everyone wants a pie of Harmanpreet's success now. But, it was not like this for her always.

In 2010-11, when she was in dire need of a job, the Punjab government snubbed her application for a job in the

Punjab Police

. She had already been playing for two years for the national team at that time.

"We had approached the Punjab Police and requested them to employ her. She had already represented India and was a regular bymember of the national team. We were told that there is no provision for employment in Punjab Police for female cricketers.

"That time a senior official in Punjab Police had told us that 'she isn't a Harbhajan Singh that we will give her a DSP post'. She wasn't even granted the post of an inspector. We even met the chief minister, but to no avail," said her coach Yadwinder Sodhi. "Not a single political party or their representative has ever visited our home since 2009, when Harmanpreet began to win laurels for the country. The least the last Akali Dal government or Congress government could have done is gave Harmanpreet a job," father Harmandar Singh Bhullar added.

Harmanpreet, at present, is an employee of the Western Railways. After this she got a job in

Western Railways

four years ago on the recommendation of Sachin Tendulkar.

One of the members of the Supreme Court-appointed

Committee of Administrators

(CoA),

Diana Eduljee

, had advocated Harmanpreet's cause to Tendulkar.

Sachin Tendulkar, who is a member of Parliament, had also written to the then Railway minister endorsing Harmanpreet's plea for the job.