Click to play videoNew Delhi: Transport and Shipping minister T R Baalu, who is under fire for allegedly using his official position to help his family’s companies, figures in a fresh controversy.
Baalu allegedly denied permission for a probe into complaints by a whistleblower bureaucrat who alleges corruption in a port trust that functions under the Shipping Ministry.
Manoranjan Sharma was removed from his post as deputy chairperson of the Kandla Port Trust after he alleged that there was a scam in renewing leases for land owned by the port.
The Kandla Port Trust owns salt fields spread over 16000 acres and worth several crores. Private companies reaping riches from this land allegedly conspired to get the fields back cheaply when their leases got over in 2004.
Manoranjan alleges the Shipping Ministry is willing to renew the leases at a rate of Rs 149 per acre for land valued at more than Rs 2 crore per acre. When Manoranjan objected to the decision, he was allegedly threatened.
"I don’t want to say anything," said Sharma, who has got a court stay order on his removal from his post.
The Shipping Ministry says removing Sharma was a mistake and it will take action of his allegations.
“Now that it has come to light we will take action. One matter has already been referred to the CBI. Certainly, where the case is warranted we will not hesitate to take it up with the CBI,” said A P V N Aarma, Secretary in the Shipping Ministry.
The Central Vigilance Commission had recommended that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe the allegations but Baalu allegedly denied permission.
Baalu on April 23 told the Rajya Sabha he had used his official position to seek allocation of gas for a company owned by his family. A CNN-IBN investigation has found that he also put pressure on the Prime Minister’s Office and the Gas Authority of India Ltd to provide gas to two companies owned by his sons.
He has rejected the Opposition’s allegations that his actions were wrong and said that he won’t resign over the issue.
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