For the second time on Monday, the Justice R K Patra Commission of Enquiry probing into the chit funds fraudulent activities in the State, extended its deadline for receiving the statements of affidavits from public.
While the initial deadline for this was fixed on August 31, it was first extended to September 18 when a large number of people expressed their desire to file affidavits. But on Monday, the Commission further extended this deadline to September 30 perhaps realizing the fact that a large number of people are affected by the unauthorized collection of public money through chit funds.
Till Thursday last, the Commission has received more than 2.30 lakh of affidavits and the number is still counting. Sources informed that the Commission might receive more than three lakh affidavits by September 30 and that would be a huge task at hand for the Commission, which has been asked to submit its report within three months.
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The Odisha Government in July this year had appointed Justice Patra, a former Chief Justice of Sikkim High Court to head the one-man panel to identify individuals and entities indulged in unauthorized collection of public deposits and to find out the involvement of influential persons in protecting and promoting such illegal activities in the State.