Partap Singh Bajwa, President. PPCC.
Chandigarh, September 21, 2013: Partap Singh Bajwa, President Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) today in a communication to the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh demanded an inquiry by CBI into the alleged misappropriation of funds meant for Sikh migrants of 1984 riots by certain ruling Shiromani Akali Dal leaders of Punjab.
In a letter written to Prime Minister, Bajwa said that the Ludhiana Sikh Migrants Welfare Board representing these victims has brought to his notice large scale bungling and misappropriation of these funds on the basis of fake identity cards issued at the behest of some ruling party leaders who enjoyed the patronage of the present SAD-BJP government.
He wrote, “I am constrained to bring to your kind notice a case of extreme hardship, disappointment and misery inflicted on nearly 22,000 Sikh migrants of 84 riots who settled in Punjab after migrating from all over the country. In this connection I point out your kind attention to a circular (No. U.13018/46/2005-Delhi-I (NC)) issued by Ministry of Home Affairs Government of India dated 6th January, 2006”.
He added that the above circular, inter alia, provided that these 22,000 families being victim of riots would be paid rehabilitation grants at Rs.2 lakh per family. It was further decided that the state government concerned (in this case Punjab) would provide red colour Identity Card to the victims after verification and on that basis give the grants to them and would then seek reimbursement from the Government of India.
Bajwa noted that on a petition by the Ludhiana Sikh Migrants Welfare Board even the High Court has intervened and at their behest a vigilance inquiry was conducted by the Punjab Government which concluded that fake Identity Cards were indeed issued to distribute rehabilitation allowance of rupees Rs. 2 lakh each. The vigilance inquiries were surprisingly dropped on flimsy and unconvincing grounds of shortage of staff.
“In brief huge amount of the grant given by Govt. of India, meant for genuine riots victims has been squandered away by ruling party politicians in connivance with state government. The matter was adjudicated in High Court Punjab & Haryana and has been in major newspapers from the last several years. In spite of all this state government has not succeeded in bringing the guilty to books and ensure that this money goes to the genuine beneficiaries”, Bajwa informed the PM.
PPCC president said that under the circumstances it is earnestly requested that the matter may be handed over to the CBI for investigation since the funds involved are of Government of India. These gestures of the government will build-up lots of goodwill among these people and will also expose the corrupt politicians and officers of the present government in Punjab. This will go a long way in the rehabilitation of these riot victims.