Corruption Charges Spark Heated Debate in Punjab Vidhan Sabha
A heated exchange erupted in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha during Zero Hour after Leader of Opposition Partap Bajwa confronted the government over corruption allegations leveled by the PSEB Engineers' Association. The association had recently written to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, accusing certain political figures of misusing their positions to interfere in the state’s power corporations and demanding money for party funds.
According to the association's claims, an officer was coerced into seeking Rs 50,000 for party funds and was later trapped by the Vigilance Bureau on corruption charges. Bajwa demanded accountability, stating, "We need to find out who was behind this."
Bajwa Alleges Corruption Across Multiple Departments
Bajwa further raised concerns over an inquiry sought by the former Chief Secretary against 48 Revenue Department officials, alleging that corruption in the department amounted to nearly Rs 1,000 crore per month. He also pointed to widespread corruption in the Excise Department.
Calling for a Vidhan Sabha committee to investigate the allegations, Bajwa challenged the AAP government, saying, "Your party has been claiming zero tolerance for corruption. It’s time to prove it."
Power Minister, AAP Leaders Defend Government
Power Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO strongly denied the allegations, deflecting Bajwa’s claims by pointing out that there are 39 different PSEB employee associations. He demanded clarification on which association was involved in the allegations.
Senior AAP leaders, including party president Aman Arora and Finance Minister Harpal Cheema, swiftly defended the government. Cheema claimed that the association had never officially given a statement to the Vigilance Bureau, which is still investigating the matter.
As Bajwa and other Congress MLAs stood up to press their demands, Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan urged them to hear the Power Minister’s response. However, Bajwa remained firm in his demand for a House committee probe.
Aman Arora Responds With Counterclaims
Joining the debate, AAP leader Aman Arora acknowledged the letter from the PSEB Engineers' Association but asserted that no political party was specifically named in it. Defending Harbhajan Singh, he praised him as an honest and upright minister and claimed it was his duty as party president to stand by his colleague.
Arora further attempted to shift the focus by referencing a report published in The Tribune, where former Enforcement Directorate officer Niranjan Singh accused one minister and 10 MLAs from the previous Congress government of being involved in the 2020 Tarn Taran hooch tragedy.
As the debate over corruption raged on, the opposition continued to demand an independent probe, while the AAP government maintained that the ongoing Vigilance Bureau investigation would address all concerns.
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