Panel: Cancel allocation of mines to minister’s staff

CHANDIGARH: The Justice JS Narang (retd) Commission, set up to probe Irrigation and Power Minister Rana Gurjit Singh’s alleged role in the multi-crore sand mining auctions, has recommended the cancellation of allocation of two mines to the minister’s employees.

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 20

The Justice JS Narang (retd) Commission, set up to probe Irrigation and Power Minister Rana Gurjit Singh’s alleged role in the multi-crore sand mining auctions, has recommended the cancellation of allocation of two mines to the minister’s employees.

Sources said these mining sites in Nawanshahr district were located at Saidpur Khurd village, which had been allotted to minister’s cook Amit Bahadur for Rs26.51 crore, and at Mehadipur, bagged by Kulwinder Pal Singh, deputy general manager, Rana Sugars, for Rs9.21 crore.

In a report published on May 25, The Tribune had highlighted that four of Rana Gurjit’s employees had bagged mining contracts for four sites. The minister had later claimed that they were no longer his employees.

Taking cognisance of the report, the Chief Minister had constituted a judicial commission of inquiry under Justice Narang. He submitted the report to the CM on August 10. The latter had asked the Chief Secretary to examine the report, following which a panel of three senior IAS officers had been formed.

The inquiry, however, couldn’t establish “monetary connection of the minister to the controversial sand mines”. The panel came down heavily on the Mining Department officials for not checking the sources of money with which the bids were being placed.

Make report public, demands Khaira

Leader of the Opposition Sukhpal Khaira on Wednesday asked CM Capt Amarinder Singh to make the Narang Commission report public. In a statement, Khaira said he had filed an RTI application on August 14, seeking information from the Chief Secretary’s office about the commission’s findings, but no reply had been received. “It is hilarious to know that Justice Narang has given the clean chit to the minister as ‘no monetary connection of the minister could be linked to the controversial sand mines’. Without probing the money trail, how can you find out that Rs 13 crore deposited by Amit Bahadur was not Rana Gurjit’s hawala money?” asked Khaira.