Dr. Raj Kumar Verka

Dr. Raj Kumar Verka is the politician in the Indian National Congress (INC), as well as a theater artist and a well-known member of the Dalit community in the Punjab region. Having been the Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the regions of Verka and Amritsar West on three different occasions, he has also been the Cabinet Minister of Punjab and Vice-Chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes.

Early Life & Education

Dr. Raj Kumar Verka was born on 20th March 1963 in Amritsar, Punjab, India, to Late Shri Jai Chand and Smt. Krishna Devi. He has obtained a Doctorate of Philosophy (Ph.D.) and earned the honoris causa degree from Desh Bhagat University due to his immense contributions to Indian politics and social work. 

Political Career

Verka began his legislative journey in 2002 as the elected member of the Verka constituency for the Indian National Congress (INC). He held the post of Chairman of the Punjab Information Technology Corporation from 2002 to 2004, and then as a Chief Parliamentary Secretary from 2004 to 2007. 

He was twice the Vice-Chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and held the designation of Minister of State in the Government of India. Verka was elected as an MLA representing Amritsar West in 2012.

In 2016, Verka became one of the 42 INC MLAs who resigned in opposition to the Supreme Court’s judgment regarding the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) water canal issue. Verka got re-elected as MLA for Amritsar West in 2017. In this tenure, Verka held the post of Chairman of the Punjab State Warehousing Corporation in 2018 with the status of Cabinet Minister, and finally became the Minister of Social Justice, Medical Education and Research, and New and Renewable Energy Sources in the cabinet of the Chief Minister of Punjab, Charanjit Singh Channi. On 4 June 2022, Verka briefly joined the BJP at their Chandigarh office along with other ex-Congress ministers.

Personal Information

Verka is married to Alka Verka, who is in business. As per his election affidavit of 2022, his overall financial position has total assets of around 1.5 crore, which include his and his wife’s primary residential property in Amritsar, and total liabilities are zero. Apart from his immediate family, he also has close links with some national Dalit welfare organizations and cultural theater groups in Punjab.

Controversy

Verka has had a clean track record when it comes to being charged criminally. From his affidavit before the Election Commission of India, there are no charges that have been pressed against him.

Are you Dr. Raj Kumar Verka? Claim or edit this profile: admin@newsgram.com or WhatsApp: +91 98214 82507.

[NGN/PK]