Sand mine row: Amarinder meets Rahul, accepts Rana Gurjit’s resignation

Former Punjab Power and Irrigation Minister

Following a meeting with Congress chief Rahul Gandhi in Delhi on Thursday, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh accepted the resignation of his Irrigation and Power Minister Rana Gurjit Singh, who has been embroiled in a row since the auction of sand mines in the state seven months ago.

After his 50-minute meeting with Rahul, Amarinder made the announcement to the media. He said he discussed the issue of the resignation, which the minister submitted 10 days ago, with his party chief and then decided to accept the same. Amarinder would take charge of Rana’s portfolios for the time being, said a state government statement.
In his resignation letter, Rana Gurjit said though he had not been associated with his family business for the past 10 years, the controversy surrounding it in recent months left him with no option but to resign in the interest of his party.

With this, the number of ministers in Amarinder’s cabinet has come down to eight.