MOHALI, April 21: Former Health Minister and senior Congress leader Balbir Singh Sidhu has launched a scathing attack on the AAP government over the ₹912.63 crore Mohali Next Generation Roads Programme, demanding a high-level probe into what he termed an “unprecedented siphoning of Punjab’s public funds.”Mr Sidhu raised serious alarms over the selection of Gawar Construction Limited, an out-of-state firm currently under fire for substandard work and negligence in other regions. He saked, “Why has a project of this magnitude been handed to a firm with a questionable track record in Himachal and Rajasthan?” He pointed out that the contractor is already under intense scrutiny for poor construction quality on the Parwanoo-Shimla Highway, where negligent practices reportedly led to landslides and building collapses. He further noted that the firm has faced similar allegations regarding project execution in Rajasthan, raising doubts about the durability of the infrastructure being promised to Mohali’s residents.
Mr Sidhu underlined the staggering cost of the project, which effectively bills the taxpayer nearly ₹11 crore per kilometre for urban road repair and “beautification.”
“This is not development; it is a daylight robbery of Punjab’s exchequer,” Sidhu stated. “The AAP government is establishing a dangerous pattern of bypassing capable local contractors to favour external entities. By awarding this tender to an outside firm at such inflated rates, the government is intentionally diverting Punjab’s resources away from its own people and industry.”
The former Minister also questioned the government’s rush to issue the Letter of Award (LoA) while the project is still mired in legal challenges in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. He argued that the combination of repeated budget revisions, unusually high costs, and the selection of a controversial contractor creates a “stench of corruption and kickbacks.”
“This is not development; it is a daylight robbery of Punjab’s exchequer,” Sidhu stated. “The AAP government is establishing a dangerous pattern of bypassing capable local contractors to favour external entities. By awarding this tender to an outside firm at such inflated rates, the government is intentionally diverting Punjab’s resources away from its own people and industry.”
The former Minister also questioned the government’s rush to issue the Letter of Award (LoA) while the project is still mired in legal challenges in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. He argued that the combination of repeated budget revisions, unusually high costs, and the selection of a controversial contractor creates a “stench of corruption and kickbacks.”
While reiterating that Mohali deserves world-class infrastructure, Mr Sidhu insisted that development cannot come at the cost of transparency. “The people of Punjab deserve to know why their money is being handed over to a firm already in the dock for poor quality elsewhere. We demand a full justification of these costs and a transparent review of the selection process,” he added.
Mr Sidhu concluded by warning that the Congress party would not remain a silent spectator to the “systematic looting” of the state’s resources and would continue to seek accountability for every rupee of public money.
Mr Sidhu concluded by warning that the Congress party would not remain a silent spectator to the “systematic looting” of the state’s resources and would continue to seek accountability for every rupee of public money.
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