AMRITSAR TRUST CASE
The matter has put the Congress in a tight spot as the Navjot Singh Sidhu-led Awaaz-e-Punjab has already alleged collusion between Amarinder and the Badals.
Amarinder said: “The case was filed out of sheer political vendetta without any legal basis. The timing of the cancellation report is part of the calculated move by the Badal government to malign me ahead of the state Assembly elections.”
“We had followed the Badal’s policy on exemption for which he scripted my unconstitutional expulsion from the Vidhan Sabha. It was our government that later made the policy more stringent,” he claimed.
Quick to react to Amarinder’s claim of being a victim of political vendetta, AAP state convener Gurpreet Singh Waraich asked him “whether it is political vendetta or a quid pro quo between Badal and him”.
He alleged that knowing it well that they would not come to power in Punjab, the Badals and Amarinder hatched a conspiracy to be soft on the corruption charges against each other. Amarinder had earlier done a favour on the Akalis by opposing a CBI probe against Majithia in the drug racket, the AAP leader alleged.
Rejecting the charge, Amarinder said the state government in collusion with the BJP-led Union Government had gone silent in the Bhola drug case. — TNS
AAP RTI wing co-convener Dinesh Chadha said that both the parties make allegations against each other, but RTI documents reveal that the beneficiaries of quarries have close links with these two parties. He alleged, “Illegal mining and ‘goonda’ tax mafia have been troubling the common man, transporters and crusher operators for the past many years. This mafia has been destroying natural resources by unscientifically mining green mountains. The Congress and Akali Dal leaders are collecting ‘goonda’ tax despite making allegations against each other. RTI documents show that this mafia is controlled by Akali Dal and Congress leaders having close links with the Badal family, Captain Amarinder Singh and Rahul Gandhi.”
Chadha alleged that mining contracts for all the quarries in Punjab are in the names of close relatives and associates of Congress and Akali Dal leaders. — TNS
Panchayats across the state are being made to pay for “promoting the achievements” of the Badal-led government. The panchayats, totalling around 13,000, have been asked to pay between Rs 5,000 and Rs 11,200 each to the Block Development and Panchayat Officer (BDPO) concerned so that display boards can be put up in all villages.
In some cases, panchayat samitis, zila parishads and other civic bodies are funding the project. Rural Development and Panchayats Minister Sikander Singh Maluka was not available for comments. Sukhwinder Singh, sarpanch of Reona Bohala village in Fatehgarh Sahib, said they had already issued a cheque to the BDPO concerned. Kuljit Singh Nagra, Fatehgarh Sahib MLA, said: “It is difficult for panchayats with little income to pay for the boards. In many cases, the panchayats have been asked to pay out of the development funds.”
In many villages, the boards have already been installed. A former sarpanch of Bulewal village in the Dera Baba Nanak constituency, Surinder Singh said they had paid Rs 5,700 for the board.
Sukhjinder Randhawa, MLA, Dera Baba Nanak, said the facts being displayed on the board needed to be verified. “Contrary to the figures of the Atta-Dal scheme printed on the boards, not a single blue card has been issued in Bulewal village,” he said.
However, officials in the Rural Development and Panchayats Department, Punjab, said the display boards would make the general public aware of various welfare schemes.
A day after quitting the BJP, Navjot Singh Sidhu’s wife Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu here today accused the state party leadership of remaining silent over the “mafia rule” in Punjab.
She also alleged that some state BJP leaders connived with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in the misuse of public funds and other wrongdoings.
“It was suffocating as no senior leader stood by me when I raised my voice against SAD. Whatever wrong was happening, we were supposed to support the mafia,” Dr Sidhu said.
Justifying the timing of her resignation, she said the interests of her constituency (Amritsar East) were at stake. “I did not resign earlier so as not to thrust a byelection upon my voters. I did not want the works to get scuttled and the funds to be misused by private hands,” Dr Sidhu said.
Referring to RSS leader Brig Jagdish Gagneja’s murder, she claimed that he was also upset at the state BJP leadership for becoming a puppet in the hands of the SAD.
Stating that her husband was in touch with Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, she rejected Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh’s offer of welcoming Awaaz-e-Punjab leaders minus Sidhu. “No state-level person is involved in talks with the Congress,” she added.
On the couple’s future plans, she said, “We have options. Sidhu and his aides have opted out of the electoral battle so as not to let the anti-incumbency vote get divided. My stand could be different.”
Sunil Jakhar of the Congress has put it bluntly: "You cannot convert a theft into a loan…. Why should the people bear the liability of the theft committed by a few people in power?" Chief Minister Badal insists there is transparency in the procurement since the RBI monitors it, conveniently forgetting that it was the RBI itself that pointed to the food scam in the first place. The Centre has maintained a conspiratorial silence over the RBI revelations. Unfortunately, opposition leaders, busy quibbling over trivialities, have failed to take this serious issue to its logical conclusion. There are accusations of Congress-Akali Dal "understanding" with Capt Amarinder Singh being let off in the Amritsar land scam.
There is irrefutable evidence of wrongdoing. The RBI is a respectable institution and if it says the Punjab Government has not accounted for food stocks worth Rs 12,000 crore, there is no reason to disbelieve it. Another national institution of known integrity, the CAG, has indicted the Punjab Government for misspending food purchase loans and inflating transportation and other procurement-related charges. It has charged millers with delivering rice less than the requisite quantities. Despite a prima facie case, there has been no credible investigation. There are demands for a CBI inquiry but the BJP government at the Centre will not like to embarrass itself and its ally in Punjab. Arun Jaitley's Finance Ministry has already helped the Akalis put a lid on the scam. Perhaps, a high court-monitored inquiry may bring out the truth.
They showed black flags at the entrance gate of the garden, which was closed by the police, in view of the protest call by the AAP. They raised slogans against Joshi and the Punjab government alleging high-handedness on their part while giving charge of the heritage park to a private amusement firm.
Meanwhile, city Mayor Bakshi Ram Arora and Municipal Commissioner were conspicuous due to their absence at the programme. They had opposed the Amritsar Improvement Trust’s move of handing over the park to a private firm.
The Municipal Corporation (MC) and the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) were custodians of Ram Bagh and the summer palace of legendry Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh. It was declared a monument of national importance in October 2004.
AAP activist Ravinder Sharma alleged that the Punjab government was working as land mafia, which was proved by privatising the historical park. He alleged that there seems some vested interest of the Minister otherwise what was the reason for privatising it.
“If the government can spend Rs 5 crore for revamping the children park and zoo, then it can also maintain it,” he added.
“The only reason for commercialising the public park is to benefit his near and dear ones,” he alleged.
He said empty chairs in the pandal erected for the inaugural programme showed mood of the people, who were pained by the move. Though the programme was delayed by over an hour, leaders of the BJP were seen struggling to gather people for the inaugural event.
A controversy had erupted after the Amritsar Improvement Trust (AIT) decided to hand the revamped children’s park and zoo to private amusement park authorities. The MC had handed the children’s park and zoo to the AIT for carrying out development works, but it was not authorised to further hand it over to any third party.
Mayor Bakshi Ram Arora said it was mandatory to pass a resolution in the MC House meeting before taking any such decision. However, no such resolution was passed by the MC house recently, he added. He said an agreement was reached only to maintain and develop Ram Bagh and not to hand it over to private hands for commercial purposes. MC Commissioner Sonali Giri also denied passing any such resolution by the civic body.
The AIT chairman, Suresh Mahajan, said the trust had sought further directions from the Punjab government over the issue after the MC objected over handing over the park to a private firm.
An ASI official Bhanu Partap Singh said he had written to superintendent archaeologist about the issue.
The AIT has leased out park for 11 years after the private firm deposited Rs 25 lakh as fee, which is refundable after expiry of the period. The people will have to purchase entrance tickets at Rs 5 per person. They will have to pay Rs 10 for any ride. They will also have to pay for boating or riding a track train. Besides, visitors will have to shell out Rs 5 as parking fee for a scooter/ bike and Rs 10 for a car.
In a statement here today he alleged that the local MC authorities and the AIT had bowed to the pressure of the Local Bodies Minister. On the pretext of carrying out development works in the historic Company Bagh its character was destroyed by the AIT, he added.
He claimed that a Station House Officer (SHO) at the police station could curb drugs peddling in his jurisdiction within 10 days and an officer of the MC could remove all encroachments, only if they were honest.
He also targeted politicians for being equally responsible for various problems, including drugs, law and order, besides civic issues in the city.
Being first Mayor of the city, what is your opinion about the role of the Municipal Corporation in development?
The Municipal Corporation is a representative body of local residents, which is constituted for their betterment. It runs with the money of local tax payers. Residents pay taxes for allowances of elected representatives, salaries of officials and employees. It is the duty of elected representatives to provide best infrastructure to residents. Every person in the city has right to drink clean potable water, use efficient sewerage, garbage collection and solid waste management system, swift public transport, fine roads and benefit from greenery.
But there is nothing in the city, where are we lacking?
As bureaucrats and politicians are corrupt, they are not concerned about welfare of residents. When I was Mayor of the city, I widened and introduced cemented roads, redeveloped gardens and planted trees. The situation has been getting worsen with every passing year. Residents are suffering from diseases due to unhygienic environment and contaminated water. The government has failed to provide clean potable water. Roads have been dug up in the city without any reason. Green belts have been encroached.
Several development projects have been going on in the city. What is your take?
It is a sheer wastage of money. The government has been harassing residents. The BRTS is not viable and soon after its completion the government will shut it. Development works during election season do not sustain. The city needs continuous development.
Traffic jam is one of the major issues. How can the city get rid of this problem?
There are two government agencies, which are responsible for it. The Municipal Corporation has to widen roads, make slips roads and remove encroachments. The traffic police has to implement rules. If there is a routine traffic issue, it means they are not taking any responsibility. The bureaucracy is also responsible for the mess.
When the Police or Transport Departments take action against violators, political parties come out in support of agitators and pressurise bureaucracy? Like in the case of auto-rickshaws.
We are representative of the people. Whenever the public agitates, we lead them. But the bureaucracy should not allow any wrong doing. They have to take action in routine manner. Why do officials wake up from slumber after a major accident?
You are in politics for past three decades. How was the industry transferred from the city?
It is due to the policy of the Centre government. The Vajpayee-led NDA government had announced tax free holiday for the industry in neighbouring states. So, industrialists moved to other states. As many as 22,000 units were shut down in the state due to anti-industry policy of the incumbent government. There were 400 fan manufacturing units in Amritsar. Now, only a few survive. The governments have to think about unemployment of locals. I have raised voice and met Manmohan Singh, former PM, in this regard.
Theft and snatchings incidents have become a routine affair. What is your take on law and order situation?
Not just the city, there is no law and order in the entire state. Murders, robberies, snatchings are frequently reported. The police has been working under pressure of leaders of the ruling parties. Policemen have been patronising wrong doings of leaders. An SHO in my constituency patronised thieves and gave them a free hand to commit crime. The police do not return recovered goods to rightful owners. Politicians get their share from police officials.
The city is worst hit by heroin (Chitta). The people blame leaders of political parties for selling drugs?
I can blame anyone and some else can level the same allegation on me, but it is hard to prove. I can’t take responsibility of any politician. Besides, I do not find fault with anyone. I advocate that the SHO of a police station can curb the drug menace within 10 days. But, police officials are corrupt.
VB report timed to malign me: Capt
Chandigarh, October 9
Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh today refused to buy the theory of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) that there was an understanding between him and the Badals regarding the cancellation report in Amritsar Improvement Trust land scam case....Says Sidhus not reliable
- Chandigarh: Capt Amarinder Singh on Sunday alleged: "Since Navjot Singh Sidhu and his wife are the most undisciplined persons, there will be no alliance with them, nor will they be inducted into the party." He said the Sidhus could not be trusted. “We have got rid of Jagmeet Brar and do not want more such leaders.” TNS
Bir Devinder sticks to stand
- Chandigarh: Bir Devinder Singh, the whistleblower in the Amritsar Improvement Trust case, said on Sunday that he stood by his statement made before the special committee of the Vidhan Sabha about the exemption from acquisition to Trust land. He said he had not been approached by the VB since last year. "The VB had wanted me to give a favourable statement, but I refused," said the former Deputy Speaker. TNS
AAP: Beneficiaries of quarries have links with SAD, Congress
Chandigarh, October 9
Alleging the involvement of both the SAD and Congress in illegal mining and collection of ‘goonda’ tax in Punjab, AAP has demanded that both the parties should come clear on the issue and bring transparency in the system.Panchayats told to pay for govt’s publicity boards
Rajmeet Singh
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, October 9
Dr Sidhu: BJP kept mum on mafia rule
Says it connived with Akali Dal in misuse of funds
GS Paul
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, October 9
Loan to cover up 'theft'?
Punjab to sink deeper in debtFour months before elections the Punjab Government plans to borrow Rs 31,000 crore. This is reportedly to clear bank loans of Rs 29,000 crore advanced since 1994-95 to buy foodgrains, part of which has gone missing. In April the RBI had asked the banks concerned to treat Rs 12,000 crore as bad loans after it found a mismatch between the value of foodgrains stored in Punjab and the loans provided to buy them. Punjab's Deputy Chief Minister had then denied there was any food scam. He called it a "mismatch of calculations". The controversy has revived with the state resorting to a cover-up loan.Children’s park, zoo handed over to pvt firm
Leaders and workers of the Aam Aadmi Party come out in protest against AIT’s move at the historic Ram Bagh
PK Jaiswar
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, October 9
Despite opposition from various quarters of society, Cabinet Minister Anil Joshi today formally handed over the children’s park and zoo at the historic Ram Bagh to a private concern amidst protest by workers and leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
Congress joins the chorus
Congress leader and leader of the Opposition in the MC House Rajkanwal Preet Paul Singh Lucky said Cabinet Minister Anil Joshi had given a political colour to the national monument by giving possession of the children’s park and zoo to private hands illegally. The historic monument was made a private property by the ruling government, he said.‘Police, politicians and bureaucracy nexus with criminals causes mess in city’
Charanjit Singh Teja
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, October 9
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| Congress MLA Om Parkash Soni in Amritsar. |
Member of Legislature Assembly for the fifth time and first Mayor of the Municipal Corporation (MC) Amritsar, Om Parkash Soni, believes that police, politicians and bureaucrats’ nexus with corrupt middlemen and criminals causes all mess in the city.
Dr Navjot Kaur questions BJP’s silence on ‘mafia raj’ in Punjab
A day after resigning, MLA says party a divided house in the state, has to toe Akali Dal line
I did not join the party to support the mafia... I came in politics to eradicate the menace, but my complaints were ignored... whenever I approached the government for development funds, I was humiliated. DR NAVJOT KAUR SIDHU, Amritsar East MLA
From page 01 AMRITSAR: A day after resigning from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Amritsar East MLA and cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu Navjot’s wife Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu on Sunday questioned the party’s silence on “mafia raj” in Punjab.Talking to the media, Dr Sidhu said no person with selfrespect could be part of the Akali Dal-BJP alliance. “You cannot expect justice where corruption flourishes,” she said.
“The BJP leadership should have told us to keep mum on whatever wrong was happening before joining the alliance. We were supposed to ignore and support the mafia,” Dr Sidhu said.
“I did not join the party to support the mafia... I came in politics to eradicate the menace, but the irony was that my complaints were ignored. What is the point of being in politics if you cannot raise your voice against the wrong?” she said.“You can be part of mafia if you want to make illegal money and no one will punish you. But if you want to work honestly, no one will be by your side,” she alleged without taking names of leaders patronising the “mafia raj”.
Elaborating reasons for quitting the BJP, Dr Sidhu said she and her supporters were subjected to injustice by the ruling alliance and not even the BJP leadership came forward to address the problems. “When I demanded money for my area, funds were not released. I was told such things happen in politics. I also approached BJP leaders for funds to which they told me to keep shut. I was told not to speak against the alliance,” she said.
Dr Sidhu, who had been at loggerheads with the Parkash Singh Badal-led government over development projects in her constituency, said BJP workers were being harassed at the behest of the Akali Dal. “Whenever I approached the government for funds, I was humiliated. Even local bodies minister Anil Joshi was not ready to help,” she alleged.
Replying to a question, Dr Sidhu claimed that her husband and former Amritsar MP was ousted from Punjab politics by the BJP at the behest of the Akali Dal. She said deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, ministers Bikram Singh Majithia and Anil Joshi and then BJP state chief Kamal Sharma hatched a conspiracy against her husband and senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley was asked to contest the 2014 Lok Sabha polls from Amritsar.
Claiming that the BJP was a divided house in Punjab, Dr Sidhu said the party has to toe the Akali Dal line. “In fact, BJP leaders have mortgaged the party to the Akalis,” she alleged.
On reasons of delaying the resignation from the BJP, Dr Sidhu said: “I did not resign earlier to avoid byelection in the constituency. Funds were approved for the constituency and I did not want the development works to suffer,” Dr Kaur said, adding that she would not resign from the assembly and continue to carry out development works in the constituency.
On her future plans, Dr Sidhu said she was keeping her options open. She said the Aam Aadmi Party approached her six months ago. “I may even go in for social work,” she added.
Capt rejects alliance with Sidhu’s Awaaz-e-Punjab
Navjot Singh Sidhu is another Jagmeet Brar, undisciplined people like him are not required in the Congress, though Pargat is welcome as he has good credentials. CAPT AMARINDER SINGH, Punjab Congress chief
HANDIGARH: Equating cricketerturned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu with former MP Jagmeet Brar, who was expelled from the Congress earlier this year, Punjab Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh said he doesn’t want another undisciplined person in the party.
Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh launching the party’s farmer outreach programme along with other senior leaders in Chandigarh on Sunday.
Talking to the media after kicking off Congress’ farmer outreach programme here on Sunday, Amarinder ruled out an alliance with Sidhu’s Awaaze-Punjab front. Though he was welcome to merge his front with the Congress, the former CM added. “Anyone willing to join the Congress has to be a part of the party,” he said.
Answering a query on Sidhu’s wife Dr Navjot Kaur’s claim that her husband was in touch with the Congress high command in New Delhi, Amarinder said party president Sonia Gandhi was not keeping well and was not meeting anyone. Party vicepresident Rahul Gandhi was in Uttar Pradesh for about a month. “Sidhu never tried to contact me. The couple should tell who they are in contact with?” he questioned.Amarinder said Pargat Singh was welcome to join the Congress as he is son-in-law of a party leader and his credentials are good.
Replying to a question on AAP allegations that Congress and Akalis were playing a fixed match, Amarinder said: “Let the AAP leaders clarify whether the case was not out of vendetta politics and let them also clarify whether or not they trusted the Supreme Court which reinstated me as the member of Punjab Vidhan Sabha.”
He said Punjab Vigilance Bureau move to close the case related to exemption of land by the Amritsar Improvement Trust against him has vindicated his stand that it was filed out of political vendetta and had no legal basis. The state Congress chief also promised to waive debt of `35,000 crore on Punjab farmers. He said Congress workers would meet debt-ridden families who would be given a receipt that will serve as an agreement guaranteeing debt waiver once the Congress forms the government.
Speaking about the farmer outreach campaign, Amarinder said in the first phase – from October 12 to 25 — party workers would reach out to 25 lakh households, establishing contact with 75 lakh voters.
“The programme is an extension of the Congress campaign led by party’s national vicepresident Rahul Gandhi in Uttar Pradesh. The Punjab farm-debt-waiver campaign will be centred around the message — karzakurki khatam; fassal di poori rakam,” said Amarinder.
Earlier, addressing party workers, Amarinder said if voted to power, the Congress would ban auctioning of farm land. He said most of the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission report would be implemented.
BJP tolerated Sidhu couple for long, says Sampla
LUDHIANA: State Bharatiya Janata Party chief and Union minister of state for social justice and empowerment Vijay Sampla on Sunday said the party tolerated Sidhu couple for a long time.Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu resigned from the party membership on Saturday after her husband Navjot Singh Sidhu resigned from the party last month. Sampla who was on a visit to Ludhiana to inaugurate a Patanjali outlet said that the party had accommodated the couple for a long time but they “did not respect the principles of the party”.
“We even tolerated their indiscipline for a long time but they did not mend their ways and continued to malign the image of the party” said Sampla.
He said Navjot Kaur kept on speaking against the party.
Meanwhile. Sampla said that BJP was not exploiting the surgical strikes by army on terror camps in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) recently.
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