Four members of the six-member team of the Justice M.B. Shah Commission arrived here on Wednesday to probe into the mega mining scam in the state. The team led by U.B. Singh will stay for a week in the state during which it will thoroughly examine all relevant records pertaining to nearly 143 iron ore and manganese mines.
The state government, which faces the charge of patronising illegal mining to the tune of `2 to `3 lakh crore rupees, has piled all records for scrutiny by the commission. “We have asked the Orissa government to present before us all records relating to operations of all mines in the state, forest and environment clearances, transportation of minerals by railways and other means to ports, trade and export of the resources,” team leader Mr Singh said.
Stating that the December visit of the commission to the state was completely a field trip, he said the team might go to some mining pockets be need arose.
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Punjab cong lashes out at BJP ‘silence’
Tanveer Thakur
Chandigarh, Oct. 3
The Punjab Congress on Wednesday lashed out at the silence of the Bharatiya Janata Party over the murderous attack on Lt. Gen. Kuldeep Singh in London on Sunday.
Punjab Congress general secretary Mr Arvind Khanna said that BJP seems to have voluntarily buried its head in the sand to remain oblivious of what is happening around in and outside Punjab, lest it puts its continuance in government at stake.
Ridiculing the ultranationalist claims of the BJP, the Punjab Congress general secretary said that the way the party had preferred to maintain silence only betrayed its sheer opportunism, showing the party was more concerned about staying in government than its cherished principles.
Mr Khanna said, it was not for the first time that the BJP had preferred political opportunism over national interest. Earlier also, he pointed out, when the SGPC, duly supported by the Punjab government of which BJP is part and parcel, decided to set up a memorial to Operation Bluestar, the BJP kept quiet and now it has again done so when a decorated Army general who put his life at stake for the national interest was attacked in London.