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Massive scam
alleged in Punjab Medical deal
WSN Network
 CHANDIGARH:
Punjab's Akali Dal-BJP government has come under some sharp attack
from former
Punjab
chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh who has alleged massive
corruption in allotment of the running of Punjab Institute of
Medical Sciences (PIMS) at Jalandhar to Shiromani Akali Dal leader
Surjit Singh Rakhra on a 99-year lease "for a song".
Amarinder told
the media that CM Parkash Singh Badal had flouted all rules and
regulations to allot the lease to Rakhra to run the 500-bed
hospital-cum-medical college, of which the latter had "no knowledge
or expertise".
Capt Singh said
the Badal government had allotted the PIMS spread over 56 acres of
land for merely Rs 133 crore. Even if just the land had been sold it
would have fetched Rs 2,000 crore. "If deposited in bank at a simple
interest of 10 per cent, the amount would have fetched Rs 200 crore
annually, and Rs 20,000 crore over 99 years," the Congress leader
pointed out.
"The is a case
of massive corruption. Badal must immediately cancel the allotment
and order an inquiry, failing which we have no option but to move
the Punjab and Haryana High Court," Capt Singh said.
Amarinder also
criticised the Badal government for agreeing to give a Rs 6,000
crore loan for the Bathinda refinery.
During the
Congress government, after renegotiating the deal with steel baron
Lakshmi Mittal, the Punjab government had given the promoters
benefits of just Rs 1,250 crore for five years, he said.
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Badal rattled
It does not
happen very often. Prakash Singh Badal explained his position on
PIMS allotment and said his conscience was clear. He then sat in
his car and drove away. Soon, the cavalcade turned and caught up
with the group of journalists walking towards the parking lot.
Badal Sahib wanted to explain a few more points about PIMS.
Then, he took leave, took a few steps, and again turned back.
There were two more clarifications. Finally, as he said his
byes, a journalist piped up to ask, "Badal Sahib, do you want us
to wait for some more time here?" Clearly, the CM is rattled by
the allegations. |
The state
government was a mere facilitator in the setting up of the refinery.
The deal was between the Prime Minister's Office and Hindustan
Petroleum Corporation Limited.
"Badal has no
business promising the loan when the state coffers are empty and the
government has to sell security bonds of Rs 400 crore every month to
pay salaries," he said.
Amarinder's
press conferenec where he levelled the serious allegations was also
seen as a show of support as a score of Congress MLAs turned up for
the event that came just days after a flop show dharna by the state
Congress in Jalandhar. Amarinder had kept away from that dharna.
7
October 2009
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