Kalia slams govt for clean chit to Rana Gurjit

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, August 11

Former minister Manoranjan Kalia today slammed the Punjab government for giving a clean chit to Cabinet Minister Rana Gurjit in the sand mining auction row.

Kalia alleged that the one-man commission had not probed the source of the money arranged by Rana’s cook Amit Bahadur so as to hide the conflict of interest of the Mining Minister.

Kalia said, “The report is more a cover-up than a probe and it is on expected lines of giving a clean chit to Rana Gurjit. The money trail of highest bidder, Rana Gurjit Singh’s cook, Amit Bahadur, who has got Rs 26-crore contract of mining, has intentionally been left without any probe to cover up the conflict of interest.”

“The crux of the inquiry commission is that “all is well” with the e-auction of sand mining,” said the former Cabinet minister.

The Justice JS Narang Commission, probing allegations of irregularities in sand mines auctions, has said there was no loss of revenue and the auction was carried out in a transparent manner through the e-tendering process.

Justice Narang handed over a 90-page report to Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Thursday.

The Chief Minister had ordered to constitute a one-man commission in May this year following the allegations of impropriety against Rana Gurjit in sand mine auctions.