Chandigarh: Punjab Cabinet minister Rana
Gurjit Singh, who has been under fire from the opposition for
his alleged involvement in sand mining auctions, has submitted
his resignation as power and irrigation minister to Chief
Minister Amarinder Singh.
"I have given my resignation from the ministry to the
Captain Sahib. I gave my resignation personally to the chief
minister a week back," he said today.
Rana Gurjit Singh, who is an MLA from Kapurthala, has
been handling the power and irrigation portfolios.
When asked why he gave his resignation, he said that the
opposition was trying to corner the chief minister by making
false allegations against him and was demanding his
resignation.
"I have now tendered my resignation," Rana Gurjit Singh
said.
However, there is no official confirmation of the
acceptance of his resignation.
The opposition, especially AAP leader Sukhpal Singh
Khaira, was demanding Rana Gurjit Singh's resignation from the
chief minister after the cabinet minister's name had last year
allegedly figured in the sand mining auctions.
The state government had then formed the Justice J S
Narang Commission following allegations involving Rana Gurjit
Singh in the sand mining auctions conducted by the mining
department in May last year.
The commission was mandated to probe all aspects of the
allegations of impropriety against the irrigation and power
minister in the multi-crore sand mining auctions.
The minister had claimed that there was no wrongdoing in
the auctions.
This year, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had
reportedly issued summons for January 17 to Rana Inder Partap
Singh, son of minister Rana Gurjit Singh, in connection with
the raising of funds abroad by floating global depository
receipts for one of the family-owned companies allegedly
without the mandatory permission of the Reserve Bank of India.
"Opposition again made hue and cry that ED had issued
summons. Though, I am not looking after the business, the
reply will be given to them (ED)," said Rana Gurjit Singh, who
has been considered close to the chief minister.
PTI
