CHANDIGARH: The ruling congress party in Punjab is sharply divided over Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh's decision to allot government land in various districts to Reliance Industries Ltd.(RIL) for setting up of 302 agricultural hubs in the state.

Punjab government has involved RIL for its ambitious programme of diversification of agriculture in the state. A section of Congress party including PPCC president Shamsher Singh Dullo and high profile congress MP Jagmeet Singh Brar have publically opposed transfer of land to RIL fre of cost.

The AICC high command has taken serious note of the public outburst of congress leaders and inded Captain Amarinder Singh had to rush to Delhi to explain his posiiton to party chief Sonia Gandhi.

The opposition parties in Punjab have raised hue and cry over allotment of about 20 acres of prime land worth over Rs.200 crores to RIL for pea nuts beside panchayati land in various districts.

The controversy over RIL got so murcky that Jagmeet Brar even went to an extent of naming certain ministers in Amarinder cabinet, "more corrupt than Akalis". Even former speaker and Kharar MLA Bir Devinder Singh has joined Jagmet Brar. He told Punjab Newsline Network that " Many ministers Punjab ministers are corrupt and CM knows it".

Even as Amarinder Singh firm on giving land to RIL, the current political storm in state congress is seen as "tip of iceberg" and begining of a major unrest in party workers. This has also given birth to speculations of change of gaurd in the state congress before elctions. Assembly elctions in Punjab are due in February 2007.

Chief Minister Tuesday stated that he had explained his position to party president and ball is now in her court. He said that diversification of crops is only solution to save Punjab from becoming barren.

He further stated that out of  302 hubs to be opened by RIL 52 were major hubs and remaining 250 were minor ones which would provide the farmers with agriculture inputs as well as hi-tech facilities such as drip irrigation and net/green houses etc. He said that lakhs of Punjabi farmers would be benefited from the project as growing fruits and vegetables would give agriculturalists 2 to 3 times more income than the traditional farming. 

He clarified that 20 acres land of Mandi Board at Mohali would be provided to RIL on the same pattern as adopted in the case of mega projects.  To substantiate his point, Capt. Singh further said that the states like West Bengal and Haryana were liberally offering sops to the companies and major industrial houses with far more incentives and benefits as compared to Punjab.  

He cited the example of CPI (M) Government in West Bengal where it had provided incentives worth Rs.1400 crores to Tata group to secure a car project of Rs.900 crore. Punjab had lost this project due to admant attitude on relxing tax structurte.eom