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Will jail Dharamsot for scholarship scam if voted to power: Sukhbir
Said that chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh must disclose why he was shielding the corrupt minister.
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) led by president Sukhbir Singh Badal protested against the state government against its alleged inaction against cabinet minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot.
“Dharamsot should be sacked, arrested and jailed for embezzlement of Rs 64 crore from the Scheduled Caste scholarship scheme. This is injustice with dalit students,” alleged Sukhbir, adding that chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh must disclose why he was shielding the corrupt minister.
Addressing the gathering, Sukhbir said, “If we form the government after the next assembly elections, a probe will be launched and Dharamsot will be put be behind bars within three months.”
He alleged that Dharamsot’s co-conspirator and welfare department director-turned-Congress legislator Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal was successful in securing a Congress ticket for himself immediately after taking premature retirement last year, bypassing other contenders from Phagwara.
“Dharamsot was responsible for the entire fraud as he had directed officials that all files relating to disbursement of funds should be put up before him,” he said.
“Congress MLAs are running liquor, sand and drug mafias. Even then, the CM is oblivious to the situation and remains cut off from people,” he claimed.
Former minister Bikram Singh Majithia said instead of trying to befool Punjabis with new promises, the Congress government should explain why it made budgetary provisions of Rs 2,440 crore for the SC scholarship scheme over the three years, but did not release even one paisa.
“A CBI probe is needed to ascertain the real scope of the SC scholarship scam as the Punjab government has said only Rs 7 crore that had been given wrongfully to private institutions,” Majithia claimed, alleging that Dharamsot had even indulged in corrupt practices, while purchasing land in Nurpur Bedi. Senior leader Prem Singh Chandumajra sought the immediate sacking and arrest of Dharamsot, adding that the CM should not protect someone who had destroyed the future of lakhs of dalit students.
