FormerPCC chief Sunil Jakhar's letter to AICC general secretary (organisation) KCVenugopal and Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, demanding criminal chargesbe ushered against Cabinet minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi in the alleged "doublecompensation" case, has created another major controversy in the Punjab Congressgovernment.
PunjabPWD Department Guru Har Sahai has already filed a civil suit against Sodhi andhis family for the recovery of land compensation taken twice in a court in Ferozepurdistrict. Jakhar in his letter has asked the party high command and CM toremove minister Sodhi from the cabinet berth.
‘Doublecompensation was received by Sodhi and his family during the SAD-BJP rule, andthe Akali Dal is quiet on the matter now,' the former state PCC chairman wroteto Venugopal in a letter. A copy of the letter was also given to Harish Rawat,the AICC Punjab affairs in charge.
Inhis letter to Venugopal, Jakhar wrote that the biggest question was why theprevious SAD-BJP government chose to ignore crucial details and did not takelegal action during the SAD-BJP regime, why did they help a Congress leader inan illegal act.
Healso mentioned that Sodhi and his family were granted a distillery license in2015 during the SAD-BJP rule and that this fact was brought to light wheninhabitants of Hiran Wali village in Fazlica recently started protesting.
Accordingto sources close to the situation, Jakhar wrote these letters two months ago,and also questioned the CM about Sodhi during the April 26 cabinet meeting,when he and minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa handed over their resignationsto CM.
Evenas Jakhar demanded Sodhi's dismissal from Amarinder's government, he encouragedVenugopal to expel him from the party.
Jakharcomplimented CM in his letter for stopping the payment to the Sodhi family,having the matter investigated, and then pursuing a recovery claim. However, hewrote that removing him from the state government was necessary to guaranteethat the Congress party will not encourage such frauds. “To keep the party'sposition clear, he claimed it was important to file criminal proceedingsagainst Sodhi”, he said.
APunjab government sub-committee accused Sodhi and his family of obtainingdouble compensation for land acquired by the state government for a roadproject last year.
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Accordingto the investigation, the state government purchased the land in Mohanki Attarvillage in 1962 and compensated the family with Rs 7,384 at the time. Duringthe Akali-BJP coalition government in 2014, the family was again compensatedwith Rs 1.83 crore.
ThePunjab government is also pushing the case to the Supreme Court as it sought areview on the relief granted to Sodhi family in the 2019 order. The family wasserved with a notice by the Supreme Court in the first week of May last year.