Cong rejects probe by retired judge, says it’s mere eyewash

Tuesday, 28/05/2013

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130528/punjab.htm#5

Chandigarh : The Pradesh Congress has rejected the probe to be held by retired High Court Judge AN Jindal into the alleged irregularities in the procurement of books by the Education Department.

Sources said the Chief Minister was alarmed at the allegations levelled against Education Minister Sikander Singh Maluka and his department.

The minister explained his point of view to the Chief Minister during a meeting yesterday, claiming that there was no wrongdoing. But the Chief Minister asked him to explain his position to the media besides asking for a report from the Principal Secretary, Education.

During a press conference yesterday, Maluka had announced that he was ready to face a probe by an independent agency.

Punjab Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa said the inquiry ordered by the Chief Minister into the books scam was a “mere eyewash”. He said the Congress did not have any faith in the inquiry.

In a statement, Bajwa said if the Chief Minister was really serious about the issue, he should request the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to hand over the investigation of the case to a sitting judge.

Also, the probe should be time-bound, Bajwa said.

Alternatively, the case could be given to the CBI so that the “real facts” could be brought out before the people of Punjab, the PPCC chief said.

In a separate statement, Congress spokesperson Sukhpal Khaira alleged that the former judge who had been entrusted with the inquiry shared a close relationship with both Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal.

He alleged this was part of a strategy to ensure that the Education Minister was given a clean chit.

Terming Maluka as ‘Scandal ka Sikandar,’ Khaira said he had thrown all norms and procedures to the winds and indulged in gross favouritism while allotting tenders worth crores of rupees.

He said the minister was accused of ‘benami’ shares in the RCC pipe manufacturing company which was given the order for the books. Similarly, science kits under the Rashtriya Madhyamik Siksha Abhiyan (RMSA) had been misappropriated. Also Map Master was distributed among poor students at inflated rates.

“It is shameful how Maluka’s daughter-in-law Parampal Kaur, District Development and Panchayat Officer (DDPO), was appointed Additional Director General of School Education, flouting all norms,” Khaira said.

He demanded Parampal Kaur’s immediate repatriation to her parent department. The Congress leader also targeted the BJP for keeping mum on the scam and challenged the party to launch its anti-corruption ‘jail bharo andolan’ from Maluka's home.

He said the BJP should pressurise the Chief Minister to dismiss the minister.

Firms under scrutiny
Patiala: While the Punjab Excise and Taxation officials are going slow in probing the role of two Mansa firms, including Friends Enterprises allegedly involved in the books scam that has hit the Education Department, they have decided to carry a thorough scrutiny of records of all firms registered with the department. "We sent our officer to inspect Friends Enterprises and found everything in order. The firm has been paying its tax returns regularly," said Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Mansa, Madan Mohan Singh. "The change in the firm's name and the addition of books in its trade commodities was done as per the rules," he said, adding that they would still look into the matter. Punjab Excise and Taxation Commissioner Anurag Verma today visited Bathinda and held closed-door discussions with department officials posted at Mansa.Though he refused to comment, sources in the department confirmed that all firms involved in making supplies to the government would be probed.

Congress dharna in Maluka's den
Bathinda: Led by Pradesh Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa, Congress workers held a dharna in Education Minister Sikander Singh Maluka’s Bhagta Bhai Ke village on Monday evening. They demanded that he resigned forthwith.