Manoranjan Kalia alleges Rs 125-crore scam, seeks Punjab Chief Secretary’s resignation

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, July 28

BJP leader Manoranjan Kalia on Wednesday alleged Rs125-crore scam in the Industries Department and demanded the resignation of Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan.

Speaking to the press here, Kalia alleged, “A scam of Rs125 crore in the Industries Department has surfaced pertaining to the sale of 31 acre land of JCT Electronics. The stamp of ex-post facto approval of the single bid was initiated with the signature of then ACS, Industries Department, and now Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan.”

Demanded the resignation of the chief secretary, Kalia alleged, “It was her approval which set the ball rolling for this scam, the cancellation of auction and the CBI enquiry should also be made into the matter.”

He further alleged, “When the plot of 31 acre was given on 99 years lease by Punjab Infotech, the payment of bid money should have been given to Punjab Infotech. Instead the GRG Developers, the bidder offered to make the payment directly to Punjab Small Industries and Export Corporation (PSIEC) and hence a suggestion was made by GRG developers to enter into a tripartite agreement which was accepted by the PSIEC in-principle and conveyed to ARCIL without involving Punjab Infotech. The bidder has no locus standi to offer a tripartite agreement to protect the interest of the PSIEC, when both Punjab Infotech and the PSIEC are State sponsored bodies.”

He added, “The acceptance of single bid by Assets Reconstruction Company India Limited (ARCIL) in regard to auction of the plot of JCT Electronics raises a big question. When it is the general instruction from the government not to accept single bid in any auction/contract, why was a single bid in the aforesaid auction was accepted? Why was the said plot not re-auctioned?”

Kalia demanded the dismissal of Industries Minister Sunder Sham Arora, S. Gurmit Singh Rana Sodhi, Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs, NRI Affairs and Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan.

The district president, Sushil Sharma, former mayor Sunil Jyoti, Raman Panbbi, Ashwani Diwan, Rajat Mohindru among others were present.