Accusing Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh of breaching ‘oath of office and conflict of interest’, the leader of Opposition in the Vidhan Sabha Sukhpal Khaira on Tuesday lodged a complaint with Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh demanding an impartial and transparent inquiry. 

Khaira, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MlA from Bholath, in a written complaint to the Chief Secretary has requested to conduct a probe to find out how many politicians, bureaucrats or other powerful people around the Chief Minister have purchased lands around Chandigarh which will be available for construction after the lapse of 2003’s notification. 

He demanded that the scope of inquiry must also include the purchase of land by Capt Amarinder. 

Khaira pointed that Chief Minister has purchased six acres land at Palanpur/Siswan village of Mohali district on January 3, 2018, and his Media Advisor Raveen Thukral has stated that the same has been purchased to build a house close to Chandigarh. 

“As per Punjab Government notification, dated February 3, 2003, the said area is covered under the Punjab land Preservation Act (PlPA),” he pointed.

Khaira said: “I have learnt that the Punjab Government is likely to let the PlPA notification pertaining to villages surrounding Chandigarh lapse after February 3, 2018. In other words, it would mean a windfall for land sharks, who have bought large chunks of land in this ecologically fragile area of Shivalik foothills, who were barred from any sort of construction or ground breaking due to the said PlPA of 1900.” 

He alleged that it appears that Capt Amarinder was well aware of this fact that the PlPA notification would lapse on February 3, 2018, hence any piece of land bought would ultimately be allowed for residential or commercial use, which would sky rocket the prices by at least 10 times.

“This act of Capt Amarinder as Chief Minister is nothing but gross conflict of interest, besides serious breach of oath of secrecy and office to uphold the Constitution,” he alleged.

He apprehended that many more political colleagues of the Chief Minister and his coterie of officers or other powerful persons would have also purchased land in the vicinity of New Chandigarh, knowing fully well that the PlPA of 2003 is going to lapse shortly.