RANA REJECTS REPORTS RELATING HIM WITH IRRIGATION SCAM ACCUSED

RANA REJECTS REPORTS RELATING HIM WITH IRRIGATION SCAM ACCUSED

ASSERTS THAT HE EXPOSED IRRIGATION SCAM

Nabaz-e-Punjab Bureau, Jalandhar, December 30:
Irrigation and Power Minister RanaGurjeet Singh today said that a crude and malicious attempt was being made to link and relate his name with the main accused in the multi-crore irrigation scam accused Gurinder Singh.
“It defies all logic and rationale to relate me with someone who has been brought to the book on my initiative”, he remarked, while pointing out that he was the first one to question the wrongdoings in the irrigation department.
Addressing a press conference here today, Rana said, it was he who had written and recommended to the Chief Minister for a high level vigilance probe after noticing various irregularities in the department, that eventually led to the revelation of a massive scam.
He also released the copies of the DO letter he had sent to the Chief Minister recommending high level vigilance probe into the matter.
Rana disclosed that after his visit on April 13 at sand rich area of Harike Head works, he had noticed that during the project of cleansing and de-silting of the barrage, the entire disposal of dredging, which involves removal of sediments from bottom and sides of river channel, has been disposed off showing excavations as plain soil (Mitti). He said that dredging and disposal operations involve both Deartment of Irrigation and Mining Branch of Department of Industries and Commerce.

The Minister said that sensing that it was a huge scam in connivance with sand mafia as if these excavations were disposed off as sand then it could have fetched the state government crore of Rupees, he had requested the Chief Minister to order a probe in multi-crore Irrigation scam.
The Minister said that it was unfortunate that the news item tends to ‘forcibly’ relate him with the matter merely because his Chartered Accountant’s son was a stake holder in a firm that received money from a person arrested by the Vigilance Bureau in multi-crore irrigation scam.
He said that it was a deep rooted conspiracy and a deliberate attempt to tarnish his image. Rana Gurjeet Singh said that the Chartered Accountant was not on his pay rolls and he had just hired his services. He said that he was not even aware of what his (CA’s) son or any other relative was doing.
The Minister said that it was unfortunate that the newspaper has dragged his name in this controversy without even checking the real facts. He observed that the newspaper should have completely verified the facts before rushing to the press.
“It appears to be a deep rooted conspiracy for maligning my political image thereby adversely affecting my political career”, he said.
The Minister asserted that throughout his political career he had been a votary of morality in public life. However, he said that deliberate attempts were being made by some people to tarnish his image through such slanderous propaganda.
The Minister was accompanied by MLA Mr. Sushil Kumar Rinku, President of District Congress Committee Mr. Daljit Singh Ahluwalia and senior Congress leaders Mr. Gora Gill and Mr. Arun Walia.