Punjab and Haryana HC issues notice to Badals, state on ‘conflict of interest’ PIL

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued notices to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, Orbit Aviations Company, Dabwali Transport Company, Punjab Government, its Chief Secretary and Transport Secretary-on a PIL seeking, inter-alia, directions to Chief Secretary to ensure that CM/Dy CM must not deal with affairs of Transport department and the State Sector Transport Undertakings till they, or any of their family members, hold shares in private transport companies.The division Bench of the High Court comprising Justices Satish Kumar Mittal and M.S. Chauhan today issued notices for 10.12.2015 on the conflict of interest PIL filed by Advocate H.C. Arora.Arora who appeared in person, in his petition stated that in an earlier PIL “Court of its own motion v. State of Punjab, an affidavit was filed by the State Transport Commissioner, Punjab alongwith which a list containing the names of the private transport companies and the names of their major shareholder/directors was enclosed, a scrutiny of which shows that Sukhbir Singh Badal, Dy CM, holds more than 90% shares in Dabwali Transport Company Ltd., Bathinda The said “Dabwali Transport Company Ltd., Bathinda” is a private transport company. It has further come out from the said list that another company Orbit Resort Pvt. Limited, is also substantially owned by family members of Sukhbir Singh Badal.The wife of Sukhbir Singh Badal is also a shareholder in Orbit Aviation (P) Ltd.. Besides, it has come out that there are other co-directors, with Sukhbir Singh Badal in various transport companies. For instance, Lakhvir Singh and Jagpal Singh are two co-directors in Taj Travels Ltd., along with Dabwali Transport company, which is also a director therein as a company. Similarly, there is one Mohd. Jameel, who is a director in Dabwali Transport Company as well as Orbit Aviation Pvt. Ltd. Another person namely, Mohd. Rafiq, who is a director in Orbit Aviation Pvt. Ltd is also director in Dabwali Transport Company. Besides, there is another company known as Indo Canadian Transport Company (Regd.), wherein these two persons namely, Lakhvir Singh and Jagpal Singh are directors. It is submitted that these persons are directors in Taj Travels Ltd. also wherein Dabwali Transport Company Ltd is also a co-director as a company itself.