Former Punjab minister Sunder Sham Arora under scanner for allotment of industrial plots

Tribune News Service

Ruchika M Khanna

Chandigarh, September 21

Former Industry Minister Sunder Sham Arora, who left the Congress to join the BJP after AAP came to power, is now under the scanner for his alleged role in the “irregularities” in the allotment of industrial plots of the Punjab Small Industries and Export Corporation (PSIEC), including the auction of industrial land, which was earlier allotted to the JCT.

Though the former minister appeared before the Vigilance Bureau in a separate case

of disproportionate assets, sources in the government said his role in the Rs 1,500-crore land allotment scam of the PSIEC would also be probed. Though the VB had earlier probed this case and submitted its report in 2018, an officers’ committee constituted later had absolved all those found guilty in the land allotment scam.

When AAP was in the Opposition in the last Vidhan Sabha, it had raised the issue of industrial plots being withdrawn from auctions by officials of the PSIEC at the last minute and these were later allotted to relatives/associates of the officers. Arora was reportedly also questioned by VB sleuths on this issue today.

Taking to The Tribune later, Arora said though he was questioned by Vigilance officers in this regard, he had maintained that the issue was not concerning him and the irregularities in plot allotment had occurred before his term as the Industry Minister. “I was summoned by the VB for having assets disproportionate to my sources of income. I took along all papers regarding properties and other moveable and immoveable assets owned by me. All these assets are already declared in my affidavit filed before the EC. I had taken a copy of my affidavit and submitted it to them. I also assured them of my cooperation in future,” he said.

It is learnt that the VB also sought nod of the government to look into the alleged irregularities in the auction of 31 acres of prime industrial land in Mohali, which was originally allotted to the JCT.

Arora was also summoned by the Punjab Lokpal on this issue. Arora today refused to comment on the issue, saying the matter was sub judice.

Contractor grilled in irrigation scam

Gurinder Singh, the contractor in the multi-crore irrigation scam, was called by the VB on Wednesday and questioned by sleuths as they re-started the probe. Sources said the bureau would now issue summons to two former ministers — Janmeja Singh Sekhon and Sharanjit Singh Dhillon, besides three retired IAS officers.

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