(Core committee meeting asks Cong govt to provide details of Ghanaur illegal distillery case to ED)
(Demands Sports minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi be sacked in double compensation for land case)
(Calls for stop to auction of the land of the Bathinda thermal plant)
Chandigarh, June 23 ( wishavwarta)-The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today urged the centre and the Punjab government to reduce fuel prices besides asking the Congress government to provide all details asked for by the Enforcement Directorate in the Ghanaur illegal distillery case.
It also demanded the immediate sacking of Sports minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi from the State cabinet following the indiction of his family for pocketing double compensation in a land case, a stop on auction of the Bathinda thermal plant land and need for empowering Mayors.
These decisions were taken at a meeting of the core committee which was presided over by SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal.
Participating in the discussion, Mr Sukhbir Badal noted that farmers as well as the industry and trade and the common man had been severely hit by the repeated hike in petrol and diesel prices. He said the centre should consider giving relief to the people by bringing down the fuel prices. “All sections of people are feeling burdened by the steep hike in fuel prices which have increased by Rs 9.21 per liter in case of petrol and Rs 8.55 per liter for Diesel. The Congress government should also understand the plight of the people and withdraw the Rs 3.20 per liter and Rs 2.53 per liter for hike in State VAT for petrol and diesel respectively. This is much needed by farmers who are sowing their paddy crop as well as the common man who is reeling from the after affects of the slowdown in the economy due to the COVID-19 pandemic”.
The Core committee members expressed serious concern over the fact that the State police was not forwarding the case files of the Ghanaur liquor case to the Enforcement Directorate despite repeated requests by the agency. It said any delay in sharing the probe reports and property details with the ED would help the accused and create hurdles in ensuring justice in the case. The Committee demanded that all reports pertaining to the case, including details of the political shelter being provided to the accused by senior Congress leaders of Patiala district, be shared with the ED immediately.
The Committee also asked chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh to sack Sports minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi from the State cabinet after his family was indicted for pocketing double compensation against a piece of land acquired by the State government for a road project. It said an independent probe should be ordered into the entire case and all those who had connived with the family of the Sports minister should also be brought to book.
Speaking about the Bathinda thermal plant, Mr Sikander Singh Maluka said finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal had promised to revive it before the 2017 elections and had been instrumental in closing it down after the Congress came to power. He said now the government had decided to auction the 1764 acres of land which was condemnable. The Core committee demanded that this decision be reversed immediately.
The Committee also took serious note of the deliberate manner in which elected representatives were being downgraded during Congress tenure. It condemned the government’s decision to take away the authority of Mayors to write the annual confidential report (ACR) of IAS officers appointed as municipal commissioners of civic bodies in the State. The Committee noted that the Mayors were accountable to the people and they should be empowered instead of being reduced to mere rubber stamps.
Those attending the meeting included SGPC President Bhai Gobind Singh Longowal, Mr. Balwinder Singh Bhunder, Prof. Prem Singh Chandumajra, Jathedar Tota Singh, Dr Charanjit Singh Atwal,Mr Maheshinder Singh Grewal,Mr. Sikander Singh Maluka, Mr. Janmeja Singh Sekhon, Bibi Jagir Kaur,Mr. Hari Singh Zira,Dr. Daljit Singh Cheema, Mr.Hira Singh Gabria Surjit Singh Rakhra, Mr Avtar Singh Hit, Mr.Baldev Singh Mann and Mr.Jagmeet Singh Brar & Mr Manjinder Singh Sirsa.