Punjab sand mining scam: Commission submits report

A one-man Commission headed by Justice (retired) J.S. Narang that probed a multi-crore sand mining auction scam in Punjab submitted its report to the government here on Thursday.

The Commission submitted the report into allegations of impropriety against a senior Punjab Minister and his aides to Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.

The contents of the report were not known. The Punjab government will get the report analysed.

Punjab's Irrigation and Power Minister and billionaire industrialist Rana Gurjit Singh was alleged to be involved in the scam.

Amarinder Singh had set up the Judicial Commission to probe the allegations against the Minister, who is considered close to the Chief Minister.

The auctions were conducted in May, within two months after Amarinder Singh took power.

Rana Gurjit Singh, who has industry and business interests in sugar, liquor and other sectors, found himself in the middle of the major row after it was revealed that three employees of his company, including his cook, had bagged multi-crore contracts in the auctions.

The alleged cook took away a mining contract of a whopping Rs 26.51 crore.

The Minister said the three persons were formerly with his company and he had no association with them.