Chandigarh, June 1: The state government on Wednesday notified the terms and conditions for the commission of inquiry constituted to probe irregularities, if any, in the sand mining auction allegedly involving “benami” transactions by Cabinet minister Rana Gurjit Singh.
The one-man commission of retired Punjab and Haryana High Court judge Justice JS Narang will probe all aspects of the allegations of impropriety against the Irrigation and Power Minister in the multi-crore sand mining auctions conducted recently by the state government.The notification had been issued after getting the terms and conditions finalised by the Additional Chief Secretary (Home), Nirmaljeet Singh Kalsi.
The commission has been set up under Section 11 of the Commission of Inquiry Act, 1952. Its tenure would initially be one month, to be extended by the government, if required. The notification said the government had taken cognisance of news reports that the H1 bidders are/were employees of Rana Gurjit.
The earnest money payable by such bidders (within two days as per the tender conditions) was paid by a firm, Rajbir Enterprises. The allegation appears to be that the said H1 bidders are nothing but a front for the minister in question, who had influenced the price bid by virtue of being a minister, thus financially benefiting from the tender.
Source Tribune India
