‘Probe goonda tax racket of Bathinda Cong leaders’

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Sunday appealed to the Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice to probe the goonda tax racket allegedly run by Bathinda’s Congress leaders.

“High Court Chief Justice should probe into the extortion racket led by Bathinda-based Congress leaders who are imposing goonda tax in the form of Jojo Service Tax (JST) on sand and gravel being used in projects in the Bathinda refinery,” said SAD spokesman Maheshinder Singh Grewal.

He said that since two companies, who were supplying sand and gravel to Bathinda refinery, had submitted proof against Bathinda mining mafia to the District Administration, it was a fit case for an inquiry by a sitting judge of the High Court.

“The complaint by construction firm owner Ashok Bansal clearly states that he was threatened by a front-man of Congress district president Narinder Bhaleria, who himself reports to Bathinda MLA and Finance Minister Manpreet Badal. Bhaleria is also a relative of Congress Rampura Phul legislator Gurpreet Singh Kangar,” said Grewal.

Stating that a judicial inquiry was a must, he said that the local police could not be expected to take action against these Congress leaders who enjoyed Manpreet Badal’s protection. “Similarly, no action was expected against the Finance Minister’s brother-in-law Jaijeet Singh Johal whose involvement in the extortion racket was even raised by Minister Tript Rajinder Bajwa in a cabinet meeting,” he added.

Grewal said that in an unprecedented development recently, the Finance Minister’s wife Veenu Badal presided over an official police function even though she did not hold any official post in the government.

“While this shows the influence Veenu Badal holds over the district administration and prevalence of halka in-charge system, it also proves that the district police cannot be expected to proceed against her brother and his cohorts. This is why no action has been taken against any of the senior Congress leaders who are being accused of collecting goonda tax by various contractors of both the Bathinda refinery as well as the Bhisiana Air Force Station,” he said.

Bathinda refinery, which is the largest investor of the State, has also complained about goonda tax levy, he added.

Asserting that Jojo Johal should be questioned about his role in the sordid affair, Grewal said that this would be possible only in case the inquiry was in the hands of the High Court.

Besides investigating the role of all senior Congress leaders and legislators accused of collecting goonda tax, the inquiry should also investigate the role of Palwinder Adnia — the office in-charge of Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh’s son Raninder Singh — who is also being accused of being involved in this racket, he demanded.