The call for the resignation of Lieutenant Governor Iqbal Singh is the result of “lobbying” by “vested interests,” comprising private medical colleges in Puducherry, alleged Tejinder Pal Singh, president of the South Educational Trust (SET), here on Friday.
The fact that Mr. Iqbal Singh's sons had resigned from the SET proved that the Lieutenant Governor had no links with the proposed medical college, for which an in-principle No-Objection Certificate was issued by the government, Mr. Tejinder Pal Singh said.
Addressing a press conference, he said that following the visit of Mr. Singh and Chief Minister V. Vaithilingam to Punjab last year, when they invited investments to Puducherry, a decision was taken by him to create a trust to start a medical college in the Union Territory.
The SET Trust was formed with the sons of the Lieutenant Governor and the Officer on Special Duty at Raj Nivas, J.P Singh, as members. They resigned “within four days” of signing the trust deed as “Puducherry is far away from Punjab and they could not make frequent visits,” he said.
Mr. Tejinder Pal Singh said that copies of the resignation letters were sent to Chief Secretary R. Chandramohan, who acknowledged them.
Asked if the resignations were forwarded to the registering authority of trusts apart from the Chief Secretary, he said that it was a “charitable trust.” It was enough if the government was informed about the change in membership.
Pointing out that the SET sought “provisional Essentiality Certificate” as an “assurance from the government” to go ahead with the medical college, he said that “no rules were bent to facilitate the issuance of the certificate to the trust.”
Asked about the activities of the trust since inception, he said that “the medical college was the only activity of the trust in the last one year.”
