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Controversy over Reliance land deal thickens in Punjab

Staff Correspondent

CPI seeks clarification from Manmohan, Sonia

CHANDIGARH: The controversy surrounding the proposal of the Punjab government to allocate land to the Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) at a concession, has thickened as it has not only strengthened the opposition, but exposed the factional differences within the Congress as well. Meanwhile, the member of the CPI's national executive, Joginder Dayal has sought from the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh and the Congress President, Sonia Gandhi, to explain to the people whether they had sanctioned their party's government in Punjab to promote capitalism in an extreme feudal form, while the country's preamble still conforms to "socialist" and "democratic" principles.

Talking to The Hindu, Dr. Dayal said that according to his assessment the present government, led by the Chief Minister, Amarinder Singh, has surpassed all records set by the previous Akali-BJP regime, in selling off the assets as well as interests of the State. "If Parkash Singh Badal was a retailer, Amarinder Singh is a wholesaler, while Sukhbir Singh Badal would prove to be multiplexer", he said announcing the party's decision to organise a protest dharna on May 16, outside the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Mohali district, to oppose the "sell out" to RIL.

The issue has brought to the fore the fissures within the Congress Party. While the President of the State unit of the party, Shamsher Singh Dullo, has repeatedly categorised the "mega projects scheme"of the state government as "anti-poor", Congress Working Committee (CWC) member and former MP, Jagmeet Singh Brar, has been quoted as seeking direct intervention from Ms Gandhi to hold an inquiry through the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) into the deal with the RIL.

Mr. Brar while alleging corruption in the deal has drawn the attention of the party high command towards the major loss, worth crores to the state exchequer. Countering the Chief Minister's argument that the RIL was being provided the concession in the overall good of the state, Mr Brar dared Capt Singh to sell his ancestral property at the same price to any industrial house.

This provoked a strong reaction from the state government, when the state Public Relations Department issued a joint statement purportedly signed by the Deputy Chief Minister, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal and a dozen of other ministers appealing to the party high command for action against Mr. Brar for "casting aspersions on the sanguine image of Punjab Chief Minister, Capt. Amarinder Singh."

The Ministers said that the controversy was raked up by Akali Dal President, Parkash Singh Badal and his son Sukhbir Singh Badal as a political gimmick to confuse the voters but the intentions of Mr. Brar were more harmful and catastrophic for the State in general and Congress party in particular. They accused him of being a mouthpiece of the Akali Dal and helping those who wanted to push Punjab backwards.

The Ministers said that it was not the first time that Mr. Brar had flouted discipline and sowed the seeds of dissension within the party that was united like a rock to unanimously pursue the over all development and progress in the State.

The Ministers also justified the initiative of Capt. Singh and his Government for bringing RIL in Punjab to strengthen the agricultural base by ensuring better returns to the farmers. RIL has planned to set up 52 rural hubs during the next 5 years at an investment of Rs. 6000 crore to purchase the produce from the farmers, besides providing them with quality inputs like seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, weedicides as well as hi-tech facilities such as drip irrigation and net and green houses.

Six such hubs, including one at Mohali would be operational by December 2006, they reminded.

In yet another counter, the spokesman of the state BJP, Vijay Sampla, reacted sharply to Capt. Singh's statement, where the latter was quoted as offering to give land worth Rs. 3000 crores to RIL free of cost.

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Controversy over Reliance land deal thickens in Punjab

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