Book Punjab minister over land scam: Opposition

Chandigarh, August 8

Following The Tribune story on Cabinet Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak “facilitating” the tainted DDPO’s posting as ADC, the Opposition, including the Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), have demanded his resignation as well as registration of an FIR against the minister.

Government stand

Reacting to the story, a spokesperson for the Punjab Government said: “Our minister had merely endorsed the application of the officer in routine. The minister also said very clearly that the officer would have to face the charges, if found guilty.”

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Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa said Kataruchak must quit after his name cropped up in the Pathankot land scam case in which 100 acres of the mining-rich panchayat land was illegally given to some individuals. Referring to the report, he said it was Kataruchak who allegedly facilitated the posting of tainted DDPO Kuldeep Singh, involved in the scam as Additional Deputy Commissioner, Pathankot.

SAD president and former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal demanded the registration of an FIR against Kataruchak and then Minister for Rural Development and Panchayats Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal for allegedly colluding with each other to give a tainted DDPO the additional charge of ADC, Pathankot, on the eve of his retirement with the sole motive of transferring 100 acres to some persons.

Asserting that the two ministers could not get off the hook by transferring the entire blame to the retired official, the SAD president said, “The ministers are the kingpins behind the transfer of panchayati land to the persons. We demand a CBI inquiry into the entire issue. The link between the two ministers and the ultimate beneficiaries, who were given a benefit of crores of rupees, should also be probed,” he added. Badal said if the CM remained silent on this issue, which is a clear case of corruption and illegal mining, it would be presumed that he was also in cohorts with the accused.”