1 percent Commission: Punjab Sacks its dentist Health Minister, arrested by police

Chandigarh: The Health Minister of Punjab, Vijay Singla has been sacked from the cabinet over allegations of corruption, and also sent to three-day police custody by the Mohali court.

Reiterating his government's firm commitment to make Punjab a corruption-free state, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has dismissed Health Minister Dr Vijay Singla for seeking a 1% commission in the works sanctioned by the department headed by him.  A recording of him in a sting operation asking a technocrat to pay money had reached the CM.

After that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann asked the Police to register a case against Health Minister Dr Vijay Singla, he was arrested on charges of corruption.

"My government is having zero tolerance towards corruption and no one, howsoever affluent he may be, will be allowed to continue such malpractices ", said the Chief Minister.

Dr Vijay Singla a dentist by profession completed his BDS from Punjab University, Patiala and was a first time MLA from Mansa district.

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The Chief Minister categorically said that he had dismissed Dr Singla from his Cabinet and asked the Police to register a case against him adding that since the case was only in his knowledge so he could have easily buried it or ignored it. However, Bhagwant Mann said that after taking oath on the sacred soil of Khatkar Kalan he had vowed to make Punjab corruption free and this is a historic step towards this cause.

The Tribune reports that a case under Sections 7 and 8 of the Prevention of Corruption Act was registered on the complaint of Rajinder Singh, Superintending Engineer, Punjab Health Systems Corporation. Vijay Singla's OSD and nephew Pradeep Kumar has also been arrested and were produced in a Mohali court which ordered them to remain in police custody for three days.

The Chief Minister said that people had chosen them for a transparent and corruption free system and he is duty bound to fulfil the aspirations of every Punjabi. He said that since 75 years of Indian Independence there is no such parallel in the state whereas Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had taken such a bold step in 2015 when he had dismissed his Food and Supply Minister on charges of corruption. Bhagwant Mann said that the message is loud and clear that corrupt practices will not be allowed in the state.

The Chief Minister unequivocally said that his predecessors had been shielding the corrupt and then saying that they knew about corruption being done by their ministers. However, Bhagwant Mann said that such practices would not be tolerated in Punjab now. He said that Dr Singla has admitted his crime and now the law will take its own course.

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