Amarinder govt neck deep in corruption, says opposition

Chandigarh, Feb 22 (UNI) The opposition Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today alleged that the Amarinder Singh government was neck deep in corruption and the Governor's address to the ongoing session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha did not reflect reality.

Speaking against the motion of thanks for the Governor's address in the state Assembly, sad legislator Manpreet Singh Badal said that corruption was prevailing in government offices and even the ministers were taking bribes. The common man could not think of getting his work done without greasing the palms of the officers, he added.

''Rishwat Ali (bribe), Sifarish Khan (favouritism) and Khushamad Begh (flattery) are the three friends of the government,'' he said.

Criticising Chief Minister Amarinder Singh for being absent in the House during the debate on the Governor's address, Mr Badal said, ''the Chief Minister has no courage to stand the public pressure and the private greed''.

He claimed that the Chief Minister was also encouraging criminalisation of politics.

Mr Badal also expressed his concern over the absence of Lok Pal in the state. He pointed out it was nearly three years now that the state government had not appointed Lok Pal.

The Akali MLA from Gidderbaha stated that some leaders of the ruling Congress were pointing fingers against the corrupt ministers.

He even alleged that senior bureaucrats owned 'benami' land near Ropar.

Taking a dig at the government on the ''deteriorating'' law and order situation, Mr Badal said that at least 20,000 cases were being filed against the police in the Punjab State Human Rights Commission every year.

About the revelation made by Punjab DGP S S Virk that the state police had rehabilitated 300 terrorists in the state without putting them to trial under the law, he demanded that the identity of such terrorists be revealed in public and all those be put on trial.

''No individual can run parallel to the Constitution in this country,'' he said.

UNI PS KD KN1744