Other States - Punjab   

Ludhiana Improvement Trust dissolved

Staff Correspondent

Major allegations of corruption, inquiry ordered

CHANDIGARH: With major allegations of corruption being levelled about implementation of a mega project for development of a "City Centre", the Punjab Government on Thursday ordered dissolution of the Ludhiana Improvement Trust. It has entrusted the inquiry to the Punjab Vigilance Bureau.

According to sources, the decision was taken at a high level meeting presided over by the Chief Minister and attended by some ministers and officials of the civil and police administration.

While the probe into the matter would be conducted by a team headed by an Inspector-General (IG) of Police, a Regional Deputy Director of Local Self Government has been appointed as Administrator to manage the affairs of the Trust.

Formal announcement

While the Chief Minister is expected make a formal announcement on the floor of the Assembly on Friday, the orders for dissolution of the Trust and investigations into the matter were issued by the Secretary for Local Bodies, B.R. Bajaj, after the concerned Minister, Chaudhary Jagjit Singh, sent a recommendatory note.

The Minister is said to have placed the blame on the Chairman of the Improvement Trust, Paramjit Singh Sibia.

He is also believed to have charged that the Trust had not paid heed to various directions sent to it from Chandigarh.

Following the expose in a section of the print and electronic media indicating widespread flouting of rules and underhand deals in the project, the issue attained major political importance.

The opposition Shiromani Akali Dal, describing it as the biggest scandal in the country since independence, has demanded resignation of the Chief Minister.

Emergency meeting

The Akali Dal president, Parkash Singh Badal, at an emergency meeting of the party's legislators decided to bring in an adjournment motion in the monsoon session of the State Assembly, which began here on Thursday afternoon.

He charged that the project which had been awarded to a company flouting all norms, stinks of corruption, black money transaction and gross income tax evasions.

Criminal cases

The Punjab unit of the BJP, echoing its alliance partner's demands and concerns, demanded a high level CBI probe and criminal cases to be registered against the Local Bodies Minister, Chaudhary Jagjit Singh, and the Chairman of the Trust.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Ludhiana Improvement Trust dissolved
Badal's appeal to include farmers in obituary references

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu