News Politics National Controversial Akali Dal leader back as Punjab minister

Controversial Akali Dal leader back as Punjab minister

Chandigarh, March 8: After being forced to resign from the Parkash Singh Badal-led Punjab government in September last year following allegations of embezzlement of funds, Akali Dal leader Gulzar Singh Ranike was Thursday again inducted

controversial akali dal leader back as punjab minister controversial akali dal leader back as punjab minister
Chandigarh, March 8: After being forced to resign from the Parkash Singh Badal-led Punjab government in September last year following allegations of embezzlement of funds, Akali Dal leader Gulzar Singh Ranike was Thursday again inducted as a cabinet minister.



Governor Shivraj Patil administered the oath of office and secrecy to Ranike at the Punjab Raj Bhawan here Thursday evening.

After Ranike quit, Badal had ordered a vigilance probe into the matter. A senior official said here that Ranike was given a "clean chit" by the vigilance department in the controversy.

Ranike, who was Punjab's animal husbandry, fisheries, dairy development and scheduled castes/backward classes welfare minister, had resigned from his post September last year following allegations of embezzlement of grants from his discretionary funds as a minister.

His personal assistant, Sarbhdyal Singh, has been accused of opening a number of bank accounts in 2011 in the name of dummy village headmen (sarpanches), and encashing an amount of Rs 1.15 crore through these accounts later.