Punjab Assembly sees unruly scenes following allegations against Power minister Harbhajan Singh

Chandigarh, Feb 25 (PTI) Unruly scenes were witnessed in the Punjab Assembly on Tuesday after Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa alleged collection of money from officials of the state power utility for the AAP in the wake of recently-held Delhi assembly polls.

Punjab Power Minister Harbhajan Singh refuted the charge, slamming the leader of opposition for levelling baseless allegations against him.

Heated exchanges were witnessed between Bajwa and Singh, prompting Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan to intervene and ask them to sit down. Sandhwan even banged his gavel to restore order in the House.

During the zero hour on the concluding day of the two-day Vidhan Sabha session here, senior Congress leader Bajwa claimed that an engineers' association of the power utility -- Punjab State Power Corporation recently wrote to the chief minister claiming that money was demanded from a superintendent engineer in Hoshiarpur for "helping" the AAP in the Delhi polls.

Bajwa further alleged that it came to the fore that money was demanded from circle offices of the PSPCL at the behest of the power minister.

He claimed that despite the letter written to the CM, nothing was done in the matter.

The Congress leaders also alleged that the vigilance bureau had written a letter to the chief secretary, seeking a probe against corrupt revenue officials. Bajwa further claimed that a huge sum of money was being collected for land registration with corrupt practices.

Singh denied the allegations and asked Bajwa to clarify for which party the money was collected.

As both Singh and Bajwa were involved in heated exchanges, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema took on the leader of the opposition and asked him to "shut his mouth and sit down".

Cheema asked why the association did not lodge a formal complaint in the matter.

He pointed out that the vigilance bureau is already investigating it.

Continuing to attack the AAP government, Bajwa said the association had levelled grave charges and sought that a house committee or a judicial probe be ordered in it.

Cabinet Minister Aman Arora said the power minister had informed him during the Delhi polls, that the vigilance bureau had lodged an FIR in connection with the demand of Rs 50,000 as party fund.

There was no mention of any person or any party, he said.

Vouching for the power minister, Arora said that Singh had even sought strict action against a person who took money from a rice sheller to get his work done.

"He is my colleague and I am the party (Punjab) president. It is my responsibility to defend him," said Arora.

Bajwa said if the power minister is not involved, then the state government will take action against those power utility officials who wrote the letter. PTI CHS HIG

Source: PTI