Badal seeks probe by SC judge into Vadra land deals

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today sought an inquiry by a sitting Supreme Court Judge into Robert Vadra's controversial land deals in Haryana.
"This (Vadra-DLF land deals) is in front of you. Let there be an inquiry by a sitting Supreme Court judge (in it)," Badal said when asked about Haryana IAS officer Ashok Khemka's allegation on Vadra-DLF deals.
Asked about Union Minister Manish Tewari's statment that a team from Union Environment Ministry will look into reports of illegal sand mining in Punjab, Badal rubbished the charge and said there was no illegal sand mining taking place in the state.

"If (Centre) wants to look into it (illegal sand mining) we have no objection. But there is no illegal sand mining taking place in Punjab," he asserted.
Lashing out at Ludhiana MP, Badal said Tewari never played any "positive" role in the development of Punjab.
"There is no positive role (played by Manish Tewari) for Punjab. One should bring funds from the Centre for the development of the state," he said.

Tewari had yesterday said that he had submitted a detailed memorandum to the Union Environment Minister Jayanti Natarajan listing the "rampant loot" of sand in Punjab.
Asked about Food Security Bill, Badal said the Centre had "copied" the state's Atta-Dal scheme.

Badal also lashed out at the Centre for not disbursing enough funds for the state's ambitious crop diversification programme.