Ex-cook bags Rs 26 crore contract, Minister resigns

Punjab's power minister Rana Gurjit Singh resigned from his cabinet post following a controversy over sand mining contracts where, among others, his former cook bagged a whopping Rs 26 crore contract in an auction.

Rana has submitted his resignation to Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh.

The opposition Aad Aadmi Party (AAP) has been gunning for the minister ever since the controversy broke out.

The Enforcement Directorate(ED) had issued summons to the minister's son in connection with the raising of funds overseas.

"I had offered to resign even earlier on moral grounds when my name cropped up. On the same grounds, I have submitted my resignation to the CM," Rana said.

The firm of the cook even gave a loan of Rs 50 lakh to the minister.

Four former employees of the minister had bagged sand minning contracts.

The minister's cook Amit Bahadur got a mining site in Nawanshahr  for over Rs 26 crore while Kulwinder Pal Singh, a former official with him, got a contract for Rs 9.21.

The minister has claimed innocence saying they were all his former employees. Capt said he is yet to take a call on the ministers resignation.  

A one-member judicial commission under Justice JS Narang (retd) was set up to look into the matter.

The commission gave a clean chit to the minister. The AAP had questioned the impartiality of Justice Narang as his son reportedly represented the minister's family as a counsel in a case.