Ruckus in Punjab assembly as Amarinder indicted in land scam

Chandigarh, Sep 5 (UNI) Punjab Assembly was adjourned for the day today, an hour ahead of schedule after the Opposition Congress created a ruckus protesting against the tabling of the Amritsar Land Scam report which has indicted former chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh and three others.

The land scam, which pertains to the tenure of the previous Congress government headed by Capt Singh, was inquired into by a nine-member Special House Committee of the current Vidhan Sabha which was constituted by Speaker Nirmal Singh Kahlon in January this year.

The Committee headed by Harish Rai Dhanda (SAD) in its report tabled in the House indicted Capt Singh, the then Local Bodies Minister Choudhary Jagjit Singh, then Urban Development Minister, late Raghunath Sahai Puri and Jugal Kishore Sharma, a former Chairman of the Amritsar Improvement Trust. The four have been found guilty of exempting 32.10 acres of Improvement Trust land in favour of a private developer for 'ulterior motives' by misusing their official positions thereby causing losses running into crores to the state exchequer.

As soon as Mr Dhanda got up to table the report in the House, Congress members were on their feeting protesting the government action. They claimed that the government could not table the report as the matter was subjudice as Capt Singh, Choudhary Jagjit Singh and Mr Sharma had challenged the formation of the House commitee in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Capt Singh who was outside the House immediately rushed in along with some of his loyal MLAs and joined in the protest. Shouting slogans against the government, the Congress members trooped to the well of the House and some of them even tried to advance towards the Chair but were pervented from doing so by the marshalls who were present in strength.

Barring Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and a few of his ministerial colleagues, the ruling members were also on their feet to counter the slogan shouting Opposition members. The exchanges between the ruling and oppostion benches was not audible.

The Speaker adjourned the House for an hour after the Congress members refused to heed to his direction to resume their seats.

Later after the House re-assembled the Opposition continued with their protest, leaving the Speaker with no other option but to adjourn the House for the day, an hour before schedule.

MORE UNI HS SP GC1722