Chandigarh, June 15, 2020 (Yes Punjab News)
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today condemned the decision of the Local Bodies department to divert Rs 15 crore from the Amritsar Improvement Trust to the Patiala Improvement Trust, saying it would adversely affect the development of the holy city and demanded the move be scrapped immediately. It also urged chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh to ensure injustice was not done to Amritsar at any cost.
In a statement here, former minister Bikram Singh Majithia said the Amritsar Improvement Trust had raised Rs 15 crore by selling its properties to complete pending development works.
“Transferring this money to the Patiala Improvement Trust will paralyze the functioning of the Amritsar Trust and make it redundant. All development works being undertaken by the Trust will also come to a halt”.
Mr Majithia said in case the Punjab government wanted to give funds to the Patiala Trust it should earmark funds for the same from the government treasury. “Funds generated from sale of property in Amritsar cannot be used in Patiala”.
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He also dismissed the explanation of Local Bodies minister Brahm Mohindra that this was a soft loan and would be repaid with interest after one and a half years as specious. He said the Punjab government had more than three years to raise funds for the Patiala Trust but did not do so.
“Now when there is only around one and a half years left for imposition of the model code of conduct before the 2022 assembly elections making a claim that the money will be returned one month before the State goes to the polls is not believable”.
Stating that the SAD would not allow any discrimination against the holy city, Mr Majithia said media reports had also suggested that the diversion of funds from Amritsar was being done to develop the Patiala rural constituency of the Local Bodies minister.
“There are reports that the development of Patiala Rural constituency has been taken out of the ambit of the Patiala Municipal Corporation in January this year and given to the Patiala Improvement Trust which is headed by a loyalist of Mr Brahm Mohindra.
This is a clear case of conflict of interest because the Local Bodies minister cannot use his influence to develop his constituency at the cost of development of the holy city of Amritsar”, Mr Majithia added.
Mr Majithia also appealed to chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh to intervene in the matter and ensure injustice was not done to the holy city at any cost. He said no minister should be allowed to use his ministry to twist officials to divert funds to his constituency at the cost of development of the State.
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