Minister: No pressure on Prakash Singh during inquiry

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh May 24

Haryana Transport and Housing Minister Krishan Lal Panwar today denied any pressure on former IPS officer Prakash Singh while preparing his report on the role of officers during the Jat agitation.

“There was no pressure. If there was any, Singh should have spoken at the time of submitting the report. He should have named the persons, who were mounting pressure on him,” Panwar told the media in the state BJP office here.

He said the state government was taking action against guilty officers after seriously considering the report. “The government does not want to act in haste to ensure that no innocent person is unnecessarily arrested or harassed.”

Refuting rumours regarding differences among ministers over the report, Panwar said that during a meeting between Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and other ministers, no minister had tried to protect any officer found guilty.

He said action would be taken against officers on the basis of the Prakash Singh committee findings.

To a query, the minister said necessary steps were being taken to increase the number of buses in the fleet of Haryana Roadways. “About 600 buses will soon be included in the fleet, and 2,200 drivers and 1,000 technical staff will be recruited,” he added.