SAD-BJP govt siphoned off ₹1,400 crore, says Sidhu
Sunday, 14/05/2017
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BATALA: The previous SAD-BJP government siphoned off more than ₹1,400 crore sanctioned by the Centre to promote tourism in the state, said local government, tourism and cultural affairs minister Navjot Singh Sidhu.
Local bodies and tourism minister Navjot Singh Sidhu with chairperson of the Punjab Arts Council Satinder Satti at a function to pay tribute to Shiv Kumar Batalvi in Batala on Saturday.
“I have documents to prove that former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and his son Sukhbir Badal misused crores of rupees sanctioned by the Union government under the centrallysponsored schemes,” said Sidhu at a press conference here on Saturday.
The minister was here to participate in a cultural programme in the memory of noted poet Shiv Kumar Batalvi.
He said during its last term, the SAD-BJP government also siphoned off ₹400 crore released by the Centre under smart city project. “Not only the Badals, some other ministers were also involved in this scam and I will soon make a disclosure in this regard,” he added.
“Besides this, the previous government failed to utilise ₹400 crore it released for providing clean drinking water to residents of Amritsar through the Upper Bari Doab Canal,” the minister alleged.
“I have already ordered audit of all records of the local bodies department and once it is completed, we are going to issue a white paper on all frauds committed by the Badals and their ministers in the past 10 years,” said Sidhu.
Sidhu announced that the department would mark an international event to celebrate the marriage anniversary of Guru Nanak and birth anniversary of Shiv Kumar Batalvi. He also promised to hold an international literary festival in November in the memory of the poet.
