LUDHIANA: While opposition parties have filed complaints with the Enforcement Directorate, CBI and other officials alleging corruption in the recent auction of the Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT), Food and Civil Supplies Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, who is silent on the issue are simple. For more than a week, said on Friday he has recommended the Punjab government to cancel the auction. The Shiromani Akali Dal and Bharatiya Janata Party, which are raising the issue, said that the minister had to take this step after his complaint.
Ashu, who tweeted about this, said, ‘Without checking the facts, the opposition created a lot of ruckus. Even there is no disturbance in the auction, I have asked the Punjab government to cancel it, just to come out clear and transparent on this issue. I have demanded re-auction of this land. Those who were offering more money can participate in it.”
However, SAD district president Ranjit Singh Dhillon and leaders Harish Rai Dhandha and Kamal Chaitli leveled more allegations against LIT president Raman Balasubramaniam, Ashu and senior officials of the local bodies department as well as LIT.
Dhandha said, “We have checked the previous auctions of LIT and found similar irregularities in most of them. Even in allotment of 39 plots under the Locally Displaced Persons (LDP) category, Balasubramaniam gave plots to his favorite persons and neglected the deserving ones.
Regarding Ashu’s tweet, he said, “This is the result of our complaint lodged with ED, CBI, Chief Secretary, Punjab Government, Vigilance Bureau and Police Commissioner.”
“We will wait for a few days to act on the complaint, after which we will approach the Punjab and Haryana High Court,” Chaitle said. If needed, we will picket the streets. And why is the government auctioning the piece of land again? Instead he should sell the land by building a food court or a simple shop-cum-office. “
Advocate Bikram Sidhu, member of BJP State Executive Committee, said, “Ashu’s tweet indicates misappropriation of crores of rupees in property. The minister should be ready for more tweets as many other scams will be highlighted soon. The matter should not end here and the culprits including influential minister, LIT president and his associates should be booked.
BJP district president Pushpinder Singhal said in a press statement, “After the BJP’s protest at the LIT office, the cabinet minister had to recommend cancellation of the auction. This is a victory not only for us but also for the residents.”
Balasubramaniam refuted the allegations of SAD and BJP and said, “I have said earlier also, the final decision has to be taken at the government level. I don’t mind if the auction gets cancelled.
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