Oppn urges ED to probe ‘benami’ transactions

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 25

Opposition parties today demanded that Power Minister Rana Gurjit Singh be sacked from the Cabinet over the mine auction controversy allegedly involving four of his employees.

Leader of the Opposition HS Phoolka asked Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh to take action against the ministers acquiring ‘benami’ contracts. “Captain should explain what is stopping him from taking action against Rana Gurjit?” he asked.

Addressing a press conference in Jalandhar, AAP MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira said if the CM failed to act against Rana Gurjit, the party would hold a dharna in front of the residence of the CM or the minister in order to make him quit. He said the state government should make public the source of income of Rana Gurjit’s cook Amit Bahadur.

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He said AAP would also file a complaint with the Chief Director of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and urge the agency to keep tabs on the mafia that had been looting the state’s natural resources.

Khaira also asked the Punjab and Haryana High Court to take suo motu cognisance of the issue.

In a press release, SAD demanded immediate sacking of Rana Gurjit for acquiring sand and gravel mines through ‘benami’ transactions in the name of his cook and office staff. In a statement here, party MP Prem Singh Chandumajra said action should be taken against the minister under the Income Tax Act.

“The case should also be handed over to the ED for an investigation,” he said, adding that the party would also raise the issue in Parliament.

Talking to mediapersons on the sidelines of a press conference in Ludhiana, former state BJP president Manoranjan Kalia dared the CM to make his position clear or order a CBI probe into the entire process of e-bidding of sand mining.

Former Deputy Speaker Bir Devinder Singh said the case brazenly established conflict of interest in the auction of mines in Punjab and warranted Rana’s immediate dismissal.