Rana Gurjeet rubbishes AAP charges of ‘conflict of interest’

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 23

Punjab minister Rana Gurjeet Singh on Sunday rubbished the charges of the Aam Aadmi Party that his holding the power portfolio amounted to conflict of interest.

“If an agriculturist can become an agriculture minister, if a doctor can become a health minister or a lawyer can become a law minister, what is wrong if someone who has expertise in producing power becomes the power minister?” Rana asked in a statement issued here.

Responding to the statement of AAP leader HS Phoolka that the Rana Sugars Limited, in which Rana Gurjeet had shares, was producing power and supplying to the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL), the minister pointed out, the agreement had been done long time ago during the Akali-BJP regime.

“Phoolka is a respected man and instead of shooting the breeze, he should explain as how my being power minister amounted to conflict of interest,” he said, while asking, “if a company in which I have stakes, is supplying power to the PSPCL in a transparent manner following all the norms and procedures and without my role or influence, should that be held against me?”

Asserting that there was no conflict of interest in his heading the Power Ministry, Rana assured Phoolka that within a year he (Phoolka) and whole of Punjab will feel the difference in the power sector.

“I have knowledge and experience in the power sector and I will ensure to use this knowledge, experience and expertise for the benefit of the state and not for my personal interests”, he clarified, while adding, Phoolka was welcome to expose if there was any wrong doing on his part in supplying power to the PSPCL.