Probe not over, but CM calls Tota Singh ‘innocent’

Ruchika M Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 8

The inquiry into the pesticide scam is yet to be complete, but the top state functionaries have already given a clean chit to Agriculture Minister Tota Singh. After party president Sukhbir Badal yesterday said that demanding the minister’s resignation was “unjustified”, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, too, has pronounced him “innocent”.

This has raised alarm bells in the state with the Opposition gunning for the ruling alliance for “shielding those involved in causing massive crop loss and farm distress”. The Opposition has also questioned how the duo could stand by the minister even when the SIT was still investigating the pesticide scam.

Badal, while talking to mediapersons on the sidelines of National Summit on Higher education for Skill Development and Employability today, said a high-level inquiry had been marked into the issue. When asked if the government would consider the demand seeking resignation of Tota Singh, Badal said neither any person held guilty of violations would be spared, nor would an innocent person be held accountable.

He criticised the farmer unions for their “rail roko andolan” and causing trouble to the common man. ‘We have always risen to the occasion in case of any agrarian crisis… but some farmer organisations are unnecessarily troubling the common man to get their demands met,” he said.

Sunil Jakhar, the leader of Opposition in Punjab Vidhan Sabha, said the clean chit to the minister proved that the government was trying to cover up the issue. “They have done a face saving by arresting the Agriculture Director. But my questions, also raised in the recent Assembly session, remain unanswered. The Director could have placed an order to buy pesticides, not exceeding Rs10 lakh. How could he misuse his financial powers by buying pesticide worth Rs33 crore without getting sanction from the competent authority? Somebody had approved the sanction of Rs33 crore from the Treasury,” he said.

Debt-ridden farmer ends life in Sangrur

Sangrur: A 45-year-old debt-ridden farmer from Jollian village, Gurmail Singh, allegedly committed suicide by consuming some poisonous substance in the village on Wednesday. He is survived by a wife and a son. He reportedly owned five acres. District president of the BKU (Dakonda) Gurmeet Singh Bhattiwal said the state government should write off the entire debt of the deceased farmer as he was under debt of about Rs 10 lakh. He also sought a compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the family of the deceased. However, the police said it had no information about the farmer’s suicide. TNS

Crackdown on pesticide dealers; 18 arrested

Chandigarh: Akali leaders on Thursday lauded the Punjab government for “exemplary action” taken against  manufacturers and sellers of spurious pesticide. In a statement here, party leaders said 18 persons had been arrested for indulging in the sale and manufacture of spurious pesticide from 11 districts. They said a SIT had already been constituted to investigate all cases. They said 710 samples had been collected and sent for examination. TNS

Sandhu’s remand extended by 2 days

Talwandi Sabo: A local court on Thursday extended the police remand of suspended Agriculture Director Mangal Singh Sandhu for another two days. The remand of Ankush Kumar, owner of Ganesh Chemicals, a fertiliser company, has also been extended by two days. The police had sought the extension of Sandhu's remand by five days. TNS