Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president, Sukhbir Singh Badal, on Wednesday said that sand prices were not coming down in Punjab because the state's Chief Minister, Charanjit Singh Channi, was patronising the sand mafia. Talking to the media here after addressing meetings in favour of the party candidate from Garhshankar in Hoshiarpur, Surinder Singh Bhullewal Rathan, the SAD President said that Channi was trying to fool Punjabis by announcing a reduction in sand prices to Rs 5.50 per cubic feet. “Sand is available at prices ranging between Rs 25 to Rs 30 per cubic feet only. This is because a large portion of the sand mining trade is controlled by CM Charanjit Channi”. He said that in Ropar district alone money was being extorted from truckers through illegal checkpoints in the name of the Chief Minister. Sukhbir Badal said if Channi was serious about reducing sand prices, he should then first take action against Congress legislators who were running the mafia. He said the very fact that the CM was not doing this and was indulging in propaganda to spread falsehoods indicated that he did not really want the prices to reduce. Badal also condemned the Congress government for appointing the brother of Sikhs for Justice leader, Avtar Singh Pannu, as chairman of Punjab Genco. He said the appointment Avtar's brother Balwinder Singh Kotlabama as chairman of Punjab Genco had sent a wrong message to the civil society. “Punjabis are shocked that a relative of the head of a banned organisation, which indulges in anti- India activitie,s is being promoted by the Congress government. There are also talks that all such appointments are being cleared by the Congress high command. Rahul Gandhi should tell the Punjabis why he has rewarded Kotlabama with a plum posting, even as his brother wages a war against the country," Badal said. The SAD president later in the day also visited Sri Khuralgarh Sahib and paid obeisance to Guru Ravidas Ji at his 'Tap Asthan'. He said that it was shameful that the Congress government had ignored Sri Khuralgarh Sahib and did nothing to complete the Sri Guru Ravi Das ji memorial, the work on which was started by the SAD-led government during its tenure.
