CHANDIGARH: Punjab Transport Minister Amarinder Singh Raja Warring alleged on Thursday that former chief minister Amarinder Singh had made compromises with the Akalis who gave rise to mafia elements in the state.
Warring expressed regret that the Amarinder Singh government could not fulfil several poll promises made to the people before the 2017 assembly elections.
He claimed that the Badal family was a transport mafia kingpin.
"Amarinder Singh made compromises with those under whose regime several mafias took birth. The mafias came under the SAD-BJP regime and our chief minister made compromises with them," Warring alleged.
"That is why I am calling Amarinder Singh a compromised chief minister," he said.
On Amarinder Singh's remarks of facing humiliation at the hands of the Congress high command, the transport minister said it was the people of the state who wanted him to go.
Amarinder Singh had resigned as the Punjab Chief Minister last month amid a bitter power tussle with Sidhu.
Charanjit Singh Channi replaced Amarinder Singh as the Punjab CM.
Highlighting achievements of his 21 days as the transport minister, Warring said his department saw over 17 per cent jump in income from October 1 till October 15.
The revenue collection of the government owned buses was Rs 54.26 crore between October 1 and October 15 as against Rs 46.28 crore between September 15 and 30, saying the daily collection has increased by Rs 53 lakh, he said.
The transport minister said 258 buses have been impounded so far over non-payment of taxes, illegal permits, etc.
The department collected Rs 3.29 crore as part of pending government tax from the defaulting bus operators.
Warring informed that Rs 400 crore will be spent on setting up new bus stands and upgradation of existing ones.
The transport minister said an order for procuring 842 new buses has already been given and within 45 days, these new buses will be on the roads of the state.