Former Punjab minister Ashu arrested for corruption
Darpan News Desk IANS, 22 Aug, 2022 12:36 PM
Chandigarh, Aug 22 (IANS) Congress leader and former Punjab Food and Supply Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu on Monday was arrested by a team of the Vigilance Bureau from Ludhiana city in the alleged tender allotment scam.
He is the second minister from the previous government who has been arrested by the AAP government on charges of corruption.
In June, the bureau arrested former minister and Congress leader Sadhu Singh Dharamsot on corruption charges.
Ashu has been named as an accused in the preferential allotment of tenders for labour, cartage, and transportation of foodgrains.
Contractor Telu Ram had, during interrogation, blamed the former minister of involvement in the scam.
Among the dignitaries present on the occasion were Vice President N. Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. This year, the list of Padma awards consists of seven Padma Vibhushans, 10 Padma Bhushan, and 102 Padma Shri.
The problems in the Punjab Congress seem to be far from over as the Channi government is being constantly cornered by its own state party chief Navjot Singh Sidhu and the top leadership has failed to evolve a consensus among the warring factions.
The arrested man has been identified as Yudhvir Singh of Jandiala Guru in Amritsar. He was a proclaimed offender and wanted in various NDPS cases. The police also recovered a high-end car from the accused.
In a major decision to regularise the services of nearly 36,000 employees ahead of the Assembly elections, the Punjab Cabinet on Tuesday approved the Punjab Protection and Regularisation of Contractual Employees Bill, 2021 to be introduced in the forthcoming Vidhan Sabha session for enactment.
The Punjab Cabinet on Tuesday accepted the resignation of Advocate General A.P.S. Deol -- a decision that is seen in political circles as lessening the "friction" between Chief Minister Charanjit Channi and Congress state chief Navjot Sidhu.
To curb air pollution emitting from open fires in the national capital, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Tuesday announced to launch an anti-open burning campaign under which 550 teams from various departments will be deployed in the city to keep a check on burning in open spaces.
