Bathinda refinery's CSR funds to be audited: Sond

Punjab minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond on Tuesday said that an audit of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds of the Guru Gobind Singh Refinery in Bathinda will be conducted after an AAP MLA alleged its misuse.

- HTC and PTI

CHANDIGARH: Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa on Tuesday demanded a judicial probe or a House committee inquiry into allegations that the engineers' association of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) was forced to dish out 'funds' for AAP's campaign during the Delhi assembly polls.

Without naming anyone, Bajwa during zero hour alleged that the 'party fund' was collected at the behest of a minister, triggering a sharp reaction from the AAP and cabinet minister Aman Arora.

According to Bajwa, a superintendent-level engineer in the PSPCL raised his voice and revealed that the funds were demanded from the engineers posted at the circle level. LoP claimed that the state vigilance bureau has registered a case and arrested an engineer in this connection.

Countering Bajwa, Arora asked him to clarify the purpose of the fund and said: "They were meant for a retirement party. If not, then they were for which (political) party".

Power minister Harbhajan Singh refuted the charge, slamming Bajwa for levelling baseless allegations against him. Heated exchanges were witnessed between Bajwa and the power minister, prompting Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan to intervene and ask them to sit down.

Finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema also took on the LoP and asked him to "shut his mouth and sit down". Cheema asked why the association did not lodge a formal complaint in the matter. He pointed out that the vigilance bureau is already investigating it.