BJP for probe into land-related mega projects in Punjab

Chandigarh, May 31 (UNI) The BJP today demanded a high level inquiry into the sanctioning of the land-related mega projects in Punjab which were given a nod by the Amarinder Singh government, adding that corruption was prevailing at its peak at both bureaucratic and political levels in the state.

Falling in line with its ally, the Shiromani Akali Dal, against the proposed land deal with the the Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), senior Punjab BJP leaders Balramji Das Tandon and Madan Mohan Mittal told a press conference here that they demanded inquiry into ''all these murky land deals related to the mega projects''.

Mr Tandon, the three-time Punjab cabinet minister in the erstwhile Badal regime, even said that if the Akali-BJP combine comes to power in the next assembly elections, they would initiate inquiry into all such land deals related to the mega projects worth about Rs 60,000 crore.

''All these big corporate houses who are purchasing lands at throwaway prices in the name of mega projects will ultimately sell off the land to the 'colonisers' or other property dealers in times to come,'' Mr Tandon said.

He said corruption would become one of the main issues in the next elections, besides the governments other shortfalls in areas like law and order, unemployment, health care and the education sector, Mr Tandon said.

He said in response to a question both the bureaucracy and the ministers were involved in corruption.

Both the BJP leaders further said that the party had constituted various committees to assess the Congress government's conduct and performance at various levels and that these committees would soon submit their report cards to the state BJP working committee.

Broadly oulining the feedback from these committees, Mr Tandon said the BJP had found that the government had failed to contain law and order, provide health care, rationalising the tax structure after the implementation of the value added tax (VAT), control the price hike and the power tariff which had substantially inreased in the alst four years.

They reiterated that the Congress government had failed to fulfill its major poll promise of abolishing octroi in the state so far. The collection of octroi by private contractors was adversely affecting the trading community, they added.

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