A trade union leader here has sought Orissa Governor M C Bhandare’s sanction for prosecution of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in wake of the Lokpal report on the controversial Vedanta University project in Puri.
Dwarika Mohan Mishra, who had filed the complaint with the Lokpal against the Vedanta project, said, “I have written to the governor urging him to accord sanction under Prevention of Corruption Act for enabling suitable legal proceedings against the chief minister.”
“The governor should take cognisance of the special report submitted by the Lokpal” which, according to Mr. Mishra, said “the State government is ignorant about the law.”
The Lokpal had submitted a report to the government on March 17, 2010, over the ‘illegal’ land acquisition for the Rs 15,000 crore university project by Anil Agarwal Foundation, a sister concern of the Vedanta Group.
Lokpal Justice P K Patra had objected to the manner in which the State government acquired land of Lord Jagannath and some private persons for the company. It also recommended action against some bureaucrats in the Chief Minister’s Office who allegedly violated laws to favour the project’s promoters.
Apparently displeased with the government’s action taken report submitted with the Lokpal in June 2010, Justice Patra sent a special report to Mr. Bhandare on May 3 this year.
Orissa High Court had quashed land acquisition for the university project in November 2010 terming it illegal and directed the State government to return land to their owners.
The State government had acquired 3495.21 acres private land and leased out another 509.27 acres of government land to the company for the purpose.
