Amarinder asks Badal to come clean on ‘missing land records’

In the backdrop of his expulsion from the House, former CM Amarinder Singh today said the files pertaining to the 87 acres exempted by CM Parkash Singh Badal during his previous tenure have gone "missing".

In the backdrop of his expulsion from the House, former CM Amarinder Singh today said the files pertaining to the 87 acres exempted by CM Parkash Singh Badal during his previous tenure have gone “missing”.

Demanding that the CM should come clean on the issue, Amarinder said the information on the missing files has come by way of an RTI filed by an individual. Addressing newspersons, he said, “The 87 acres were given to three builders by Badal. The official reply from the government is that the file is not traceable.”

* Land deals: Amarinder Singh said the Badal government was selling government land, and the money thus colleted was not going to the treasury. Instead, it was being spent on other purposes through Infrastructure Development Boards. “Badal has no authority to do this. Let him sell his own land,” he said. So far, assets worth Rs 3,200 crore have being sold, he added.

* Patiala passion: Amarinder said the money that Badal was of late spending “generously” in Patiala was out of the Rs 82 crore he had got for the Patiala Infrastructure Development Board. “I hope Badal spends the money– as the election to the segment has been put off– and not take Patiala residents for a ride,” he said.

* On Orbit: He said Orbit had 40 buses when Badal came to power. Today, it has a fleet of 100. Buses of even ex-servicemen and handicapped in the Malwa belt have being bought by Orbit, he alleged.

* Haryana SGPC: Amarinder said if the Sikhs want a separate SGPC, why should it be a problem with Badal? It is for the Sikhs of Haryana to decide on this, he said.

* Sonrise: Reacting on the prospects of his son Raninder Singh contesting from Bathinda against the CM’s son, Sukhbir Badal, Amarinder said party high command would decide on this.

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* Undaunted: Amarinder said he was not afraid of the plans of the Badals to book him in false cases and restrict his movement. “They believe in might is right policy. My life will not be run by the Badals. We will fight them and defeat them. They should fight me and not the Congress workers in Punjab.” He said the Congress was filing a case with the ECI for declaring Punjab a sensitive state that should have Central forces during elections.

* Subsidy: Supporting subsidies, Amarinder said it was the duty of the state to look after its 74 per cent small and marginal farmers.

* On Nano: “Punjab offered Tata all they wanted, including 700 acres of land, housing project worth Rs 300 crore and VAT rebate. Despite this and a much-favorable response from Ratan Tata, they went to West Bengal,” he said.

* On Bir Devinder and Bhattal: Capt said he and Bhattal were the best of friends. On Bir, he said, “There are two Badals and a Bir Devinder now. The PPCC is handling his case,” he said.