Cong stages walkout again,this time over sale of state properties

The amount earned from the sale of these properties and the receipts are not being deposited in the consolidated fund of the state. Also,they are not being auctioned at competitive rates,he alleged.

“Now,the government wants to sell Rajpura colony in Patiala,Bultan park in Jalandhar for a mall-cum-multiplex,a rest house of the Irrigation department on Kapurthala road without issuing any tenders. These properties were earlier being sold by the PUDA and now by the PIDB,” he alleged. Sodhi demanded an inquiry by the CBI or by a sitting judge of the high court into these sales.

When the treasury benches did not respond,Congressmen,led by Leader of Opposition Rajinder Kaur Bhattal,came down to the well of the House and raised slogans against the government and then walked out for about an hour.

Trying to pacify the Opposition,Speaker Nirmal Singh Kahlon said,“Give the government time to reply.”

Earlier,Bhattal said,“The government should have responded immediately. The issue was raised in the last session as well. It is a big scandal but the government is treating it like routine.”

In February,The Indian Express had reported that the state government had identified 33 properties and told the PIDB to sell them.

Earlier,in the Zero Hour,SAD MLA Amarjit Singh Shahi raised the issue of increasing salaries of MLAs.

On this,Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal said,“The Zero Hour is not for these issues.

The MLAs are here to serve our state and nation and not for money. Nobody forced us to become legislators,it was our own choice.”

The Speaker said,“I had earlier spoken to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on the issue of raising the salaries of MLAs and ministers.

The CM and the finance minister have already given their assurance regarding the same.”

Question hour
Over 8,000 kg adulterated khoya seized last year: Health minister
In the last one year,the state government seized 8,819 kg adulterated khoya and 23,762 kg adulterated milk products,during 23 raids conducted. This was stated by Health and Family Welfare Minister Lakshmi Kanta Chawla in reply to a question by Congress MLA Ajit Inder Moofar. She said 27,600 litres adulterated milk was also seized from January 1,2009,to February 28,2010. After conducting tests on the seized materials,they are burnt,buried or thrown away. Around 12,000 litres of adulterated milk was thrown in a waste drain on the Rajpura-Banur road,she said. Legal action was also taken against people who sold adulterated khoya and other items,she added. On a question regarding upgrade of road from Junir to Ahulpur,asked by Congress MLA Ajit Inder Singh Moofar,Speaker Nirmal Singh Kahlon told Agriculture Minister Sucha Singh Langha to order an inquiry into the matter by a senior official of another department.

The Speaker had to intervene because the minister repeatedly said the inquires had been conducted by three agencies and officers of superintending engineer and chief engineer level.

The discrepancies pointed out by the Quality Control wing of the Punjab Mandi Board were removed by the contractor before paying him,he added.