Orissa assembly adjourned 4 times over mining scam issue

December 05, 2009 04:58 pm | Updated 05:00 pm IST - Bhubaneswar

A file picture of Orissa Assembly. Picture: Ashoke Chakraborty.

A file picture of Orissa Assembly. Picture: Ashoke Chakraborty.

Orissa assembly was adjourned repeatedly on Saturday as opposition Congress members tried to climb the speaker’s podium and broke his mike while demanding a CBI probe into the multi-crore mining scam.

The mining scam issue was raised by leader of opposition Bhupinder Singh during the zero hour.

Quoting a newspaper report, Mr. Singh alleged that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik as the union mines minister in 1998 had approved mining lease in favour of company owned by Indrani Patnaik against whom the state vigilance has registered a criminal case on charge of illegal mining in Keonjhar district.

Rejecting the investigation by the state vigilance, Mr. Singh demanded a CBI probe in order to book all those involved in the mining irregularities.

“There is an attempt by ruling BJD to drag Congress party’s name into alleged irregularities by the Indrani Patnaik company”, the leader of opposition said adding that a white paper on the mining deal would make things clear.

While Mr. Singh placed the demand at the top of his voice, Congress members rushed into well almost climbing on speaker’s podium. The chief minister was accused of granting mining lease to about 40 companies and persons during last 10 years.

Party’s member from Kalahandi Gobardhan Das was warned by speaker Pradip Kumar Amat for breaking the mikes. “What you have done is not correct. This is for the third time you have broken mike”, the speaker said.

As uproarious scenes persisted, the House was adjourned four times till 3 pm.

The treasury bench members on their part pointed fingers at the Patnaik family in Congress and hold them responsible for the illegal mining.

While defending the vigilance probe, they dubbed the CBI as “Congress Bureau of Investigation“.

As the mining irregularities were sub-judice, it would not be proper to hand over the case to CBI, said BJD member Ananta Das.

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