Vigilance probe a sham: Jakhar
Saturday, 03/10/2015
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JALANDHAR: Terming the vigilance probe ordered by the Punjab chief minister into the Doaba pesticide scam a sham, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Sunil Jakhar on Friday demanded an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the purchase of pesticides in recent years.
Congress Legislature Party leader Sunil Jakhar addressing the media in Jalandhar on Friday.
“From 2009 to 2014, the state government received `3,530 crore under centrally-sponsored schemes for agricultural purposes, including the procurement of pesticides. I can prove that more than 50% of this fund was embezzled by the state government. Vigilance bureau probes are not enough in such a huge scam. Only a CBI probe can expose this nexus in which top-level politicians of the ruling party are also involved,” said Jakhar while addressing a press conference here.
On the one-month time frame given for the probe into the Phillaur pesticide scam, the CLP leader said CM Parkash Singh Badal had just attempted to buy time to let the matter cool off, as in the case of the probe into the pesticide scam that had hit cotton growers.
“Why do you need a month to conduct a probe when everything is right there on the table? You are just giving time for the accused to cover their tracks. The CM should at least have suspended the accused officers, who were only transferred after allegations of their complicity came to light,” alleged Jakhar.
Taking a dig at Badal’s sangat darshan programmes, Jakhar said it seemed that the CM was offering only his own darshan (glimpse) to the public as no feedback was taken from farmers or other groups.
The Congress leader also alleged that the state government was trying to create a rift between the peasantry and the business community.
“A day after announcing `600-crore compensation for cotton farmers, the government imposed 7% tax on rice shellers for processing basmati. Ultimately, this tax will also be passed on the farmers as sheller owners would not be keen to lift basmati at the minimum support price (MSP), forcing farmers to go for distress sale,” alleged Jakhar.
