Chandigarh, March 28 — Congress legislators cornered the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in the Punjab Assembly on Friday, demanding a high-powered Vidhan Sabha committee to investigate allegations of a ₹4,000-crore scam in paddy procurement payments.
Leading the charge during Zero Hour, Congress MLA Tript Rajinder Bajwa claimed farmers were underpaid, receiving ₹1,700 to ₹2,100 per quintal instead of the official ₹2,300, alleging the remaining funds were diverted to the recent Delhi Assembly elections.
New and Renewable Energy Minister Aman Arora dismissed the allegations, stating that all payments were directly credited to farmers’ bank accounts. “Can you show a single complaint filed at any level to support your claim?” he asked.
Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa insisted on an in-house Vidhan Sabha probe rather than a departmental inquiry, calling the allegations serious. Arora, however, accused the opposition of politicizing the issue with unsubstantiated claims.
Meanwhile, Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains raised concerns over political interference in Akal Takht affairs, urging the House to discuss the broader issues involving the Akal Takht, the SGPC, and the SAD.
AAP MLA Manwinder Singh Gyaspura called for the House to condemn the recent killings of six Sikhs in Balochistan and send an official statement of resentment to the Centre.
Congress MLA Aruna Chaudhary accused the government of political bias in the allotment of pucca houses under a central scheme in her Dinanagar constituency, claiming poor families were denied housing due to political affiliations.
Raja Sansi MLA Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria demanded government aid for farmers who lost crops to heavy rains earlier this month.
AAP MLA Kulwant Singh Baazigar highlighted the plight of Sansis, Bazigars, and Rai Sikhs who migrated from Pakistan after Partition, stating their properties remained unregistered despite decades of residence.
