Sack tainted ministers, Opp dares Naveen
The Congress on Thursday dared Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik to prove his honesty and transparent character by sacking two of his ministerial colleagues who caught in a coal scam.
“Naveen Patnaik should immediately sack urban development minister Badrinarayan Patra and mass education minister Pratap Jena who have amassed huge black money by misutilising their earlier positions in the state-owned Orissa Small Industries Corporation. Otherwise, the people of Orissa will muck at his self-claimed transparent character,” Leader of the Opposition Bhupinder Singh said.
The alleged role of the two ministers in diversion of Centre-provided subsidised coal to fake companies resurfaced in the state Assembly for the second day on Thursday and the Opposition members raised a ruckus. “In the past, Naveen dropped Nalini Kanta Mohanty, Prashant Nanda and Kamala Das on shadow of corruption charges. Now that there are prima facie evidences against the two ministers, the chief minister should drop them from his council of ministers,” Mr Singh said.
Senior Congress member Santosh Singh Saluja said since the vigilance department had already confirmed about the involvement of the two ministers in the Rs 125 crores coal scam, the chief minister should not try to shield them. “Why is the chief minister so eager to protect the ministers who sold the subsidised coal to fake companies? If he does not sack them, he himself will come under the shadow of corruption,” Mr Saluja said.
The House plunged into turmoil when the Speaker rejected the Opposition’s demand to allow a debate on coal scam and attempted to transact the normal business.
The Congress members trouped into the well on more than three occasions forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House till Friday.
Amidst pandemonium, the House passed the budget expenditure for the food supplies and consumer welfare for 2010-11 fiscal.
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