Rana Sugars Private Limited, owned by senior Congress leader Rana Gurjit, today accused AAP leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira of trying to run a malicious campaign against it for partisan and personal reasons.
The AAP leader was today stopped by the police from reaching a spot close to the factory of Rana Sugars Private Limited, with Chief Minister Amarinder Singh accusing him of trying "trespass" into the factory in Batala.
The company challenged the AAP leader to prove even one of the several charges he has been levelling against it.
Khaira alleged that Rana Sugar Mill has several large bores, each more than 500 feet, in the factory premises to dispose of toxic waste into the soil.
By doing so the mill has contaminated the ground water and the water of surrounding villages to such extent that it cannot be used for drinking or even irrigation purposes, he claimed.
The AAP leader said his battle to save the environment and the waters of Punjab will continue.
The sugar mill, in a separate statement, clarified that it was operating strictly according to the norms of the environment ministry and the pollution control board, and had obtained all mandatory clearances, which were renewed from time to time after proper scrutiny and examination.
The company also said that it never tried to stop Khaira from visiting the sugar mill premises in Buttar Sivian village.
On the AAP leader's claim that he was deliberately prevented from visiting the mill, Rana Gurjit's son and one of the directors of the company Rana Veer Partap Singh said, "It is so characteristic of Khaira to resort to theatrics and create a hype and eventually beat a hasty retreat taking one excuse or the other."
Refuting Khaira's charge that the company had set up a "reverse bore-well" inside the premises to pump waste water back into the ground, Veer Pratap Singh said that if he could prove it the charge they would shut down the mill.
He said although the mill was running strictly according to set norms and procedures, it will still welcome another inspection by environment experts or officials of the environment ministry and the pollution control board.
"But even that will not satisfy Khaira as he continues to suffer from pathological hatred for Rana Gurjit borne out of personal jealousy and can stoop to any low to malign his image", Rana Veer Partap said.
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