SAD leader seeks CBI probe into 'procedural lapses' in sand

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MP Prem Singh Chandumajra today demanded a CBI inquiry into the "procedural lapses" in the last month's sand mine auctions in the state and said cancellation of the second phase of this exercise proved the allegation to be true.
He said the CBI inquiry should focus on procedural lapses as well as on key people, including state finance minister Manpreet Badal and mining department officials, who were responsible for making the new policy and conduct of the auction last month.
Senior SAD leader Prem Singh Chandumajra said it was clear that the officials had turned a blind eye to "proxy acquisition" of sand mines by senior Congress leaders and ministers.

"It needs to be ascertained as to who had instructed them to allow proxy bidding by cooks and employees of state Irrigation and Power minister Rana Gurjit Singh as well as a single bid by 17 Congress MLAs," he said.
Chandumajra also termed the cancellation of the auction of the remaining 55 mines, which was scheduled for tomorrow, as a farce, saying if the government was interested in a free and fair exercise it should cancel the last auction also.
The mining department had yesterday announced cancellation of the June 11 e-auction of 56 sand mines due to failure of some bidders to upload necessary documents. Fresh bidding will now be conducted in the first week of July.

He said it was only after the SAD had raised its voice against the illegalities committed in the first auction that the government was now insisting that the bidders submit proper documents.

"Why was not this done earlier? Isn't it clear that the earlier auction was rigged to help Congress leaders acquire the mines? Why isn't the entire process being cancelled instead of one part only?," he asked.
A two-day e-auction of sand mines in Punjab held last month culminated with bids worth Rs 1,026 crore secured for 89 mines, the highest ever earnings for the state from sand mining sector.

Questions were being raised over the allotment of mining contracts to Amit Bahadur at Saidpur Khurd village in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar for Rs 26.51 crore, Kulvinder Paul Singh at Mehadipur in SBS Nagar for Rs 9.21 crore, Gurinder Singh at Rampur Kalan village in Mohali district for Rs 4.11 crore and Balraj Singh at Bairsal village for Rs 10.58 crore.