Bali refutes corruption charges, says ready for any inquiry

Shimla, Mar 12 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh Transport and Tourism Minister G S Bali today asserted that he was open to any inquiry into the ''musical blast'' issue, saying the BJP was levelling false corrutpion charges against him time and again.

Intervening in the discussion on the budget proposals for 2007-08 in the Assembly after Rajiv Bindal (BJP) referred to musical blast in Kangra town as a big scam, the minister said he had already written to Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh that he was open to any inquiry into the matter.

Mr Bali, who was not in the House when Bindal was speaking, entered the House soon after and asserted that the BJP had been levelling false allegations against him time and again.

''Several of the allegations being levelled against me pertain to the period when I was not even a minister,'' he said.

Earlier, Mr Bindal, in his speech, launched a scathing attack on the tourism minister for having selling out tourism units to outsiders by relaxing norms.

He said the tourism director had come out with different notifications within a short period regarding conditions in essentiality certificate required for setting up tourism units in the state and alleged that this was done by the government to benefit a few of their favorites.

Referring to Ski Village project and the Mcleodganj bus-stand projects, Mr Bindal said the chief minister in his budget speeches in 2003, 2005 and 2006 had made several promises on projects which were to come up in Himachal, but no progress had been made.

Alleging irregularities in recruitments in various government departments during the last few years, he said the government has failed in tackling the unemployment problem despite several promises.

UNI