Minister Rana Gurjit Singh, alleged accused in Punjab sand mine scam, resigns

Chandigarh: Congress leader Rana Gurjit Singh has resigned from the post of state Power and Irrigation Minister on Monday. 

Singh, accused of benefiting from sand mining auction row, resigned after orders from Congress high command.

Sources said party chief Rahul Gandhi asked him to resign after the corruption charges put Congress in the backfoot in the state.

The resignation comes in the wake of the reports of Rana being summoned by the Enforcement Directorate over alleged involvement in the sand mining auction scam.

In May 2017, Singh's associates, including cook Amit Bahadur, won several sand mine bids worth crores.

He is also under the scanner after a company floated by the minister in his cook's name borrowed Rs 5 crore from a contractor accused in a multi-crore scam in Singhs's own department.