Punjab News Express
CHANDIGARH: In the wake of the statement of former Director Agriculture Mangal Singh, who has dragged the CM office in controversy, The Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee today demanded a juridical probe into the pesticide scam, apart from immediate resignation from Agricultural Minister Tota Singh.
In a press release Senior Congress leader Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, said that the revelation of Mangal Singh has made it crystal clear that the Pesticide Scam has taken place with connivance of the Cabinet Minister Tota Singh. “The statement of Mangal Singh that he taken all decision with approval of Tota Singh, had indicted the minister, Thus CM must ask his minister to resign, who is already convicted by a court for misuse of power as Education Minister”, said Randhawa.
He said that Mangal Singh has further said that he has been made a scapegoat by CM office to save mighty one, has put the entire CM office under doubt in this pesticide scam. The CM must own responsibility and order a Judicial probe by a sitting High Court Judge.
He said that during the regime of the Captain Amarinder Singh, he himself had launched the BT Cotton and it was proved very successful and raised income of the farming community. However, the Akali Dal, who always indulge in act of omission and commission, has duped the farmers by providing spurious pesticides, which led to massive damage in cotton belt and causing a minimum Rs. 1200 crore damage in Punjab.
He said that it has proved beyond doubt that corruption has been taken place while purchasing the pesticides, thus the CM must come clean over the critical issue, which has ruined the economy of Malwa region.
Taking strong exception to irresponsible utterances of Dr. Mangal Singh Sandhu in a section of press, the Agriculture Minister said that it was incumbent on the part of the officer to follow laid down procedure for the procurement of pesticides.
In a statement, Tota Singh said that Dr Mangal Singh was now indulging in blame-game thereby shifting the onus from one person to another indiscreetly which was unbecoming of an officer of the stature of Head of the Department. The Agriculture Minister further bemoaned that the officer showed scant respect for the official decorum and botched up the bare facts related to purchase of pesticides just to save his skin.
The Agriculture Minister advised the officer concerned to discharge his duties within his defined domain that too within the ambit of moral decency and ethics of public conduct.