Mining report with CM, panel members ‘unaware’

Rajmeet Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 8

The tabling of report of the Cabinet sub-committee on mining was deferred amid objections by its members that Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu submitted it to the CM on Monday without their knowledge.

While Sidhu is chairman of the committee, other members are Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal, Rural Development Minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa and special invitee Revenue Minister Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria.

Tript Rajinder Bajwa said he was not aware of the report being submitted to the CM.

It is learnt that all committee members were not in favour of setting up Punjab Mines and Minerals Development Corporation.

Though no formal discussion on the report was held during the Cabinet meeting, Sidhu in an informal discussion with some Cabinet colleagues is reported to have told them that he has submitted the report to the CM and it is for him to take a call on it.

While Manpreet, who was out of station for the last three days, excused himself from the controversy, Sidhu did not respond to calls.