AAP presses for CBI probe, minister Arora’s resignation
› If the state government fails to hand over the investigation to CBI by October 10, the AAP will knock the doors of the high court.
HARPAL SINGH CHEEMA, leader of Opposition in Punjab assembly
CHANDIGARH: Leader of Opposition (LOP) in Punjab assembly Harpal Singh Cheema on Wednesday demanded the resignation of industries minister Sham Sundar Arora for the:”shoddy probe into the alleged Rs 1,500-crore industrial plot allotment scam in Punjab Small Industries and Exports Corporation (PSIEC)”.
Addressing a press conference here, Cheema said the state government should hand over the probe into the irregularities in plot allotment to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and take stringent action against officers of PSIEC named in the report of a threemember inquiry committee headed by IAS officer Rahul Bhandari.
“If the government fails to hand over the investigation to CBI by October 10, the AAP will knock the doors of the high court,” he warned the government, releasing the contents of the inquiry committee’s report.
AAP MLA Kulwant Singh Pandori, core committee members Sukhwinder Sukhi, Manjit Singh Sidhu and other party were also present.
‘CM’S AIDE SCUTTLED VIGILANCE PROBE’
Cheema said the alleged role of an aide of chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh in scuttling the vigilance probe also needed to be probed as the investigation report submitted by the Vigilance Bureau had named the chief general manager, general manager (planning), estate officer, senior assistant, consultant and their kin for irregularities in allotment of plots.
“On January 30, 2019, a joint director of Vigilance Bureau had sought the state government’s go ahead to file a case against the officials named in the report, but the sanction was not granted.
Instead, the committee of offices was set up to go into the matter,” he said. Cheema said the committee gave a clean chit to several officials whose role was questioned by the Vigilance Bureau in its report, alleging a “cover-up”.