Armed with a recent Orissa high court judgment that said the state government did not have a “consistent” mineral policy and it adopted different stands and different points of time with regard to grant of mining lease, the BJP on Tuesday said chief minister Naveen Patnaik had no moral and legal rights to continue in power.
Senior BJP leader Bijoy Mohapata, while addressing a crowded press conference here, said the observation of the HC was an indictment of the Naveen Patnaik government “that has been showing undue favour to private industrial houses”.
The HC, while disposing a writ petition by Geomin Minerals and Marketing Private Limited (GMMPL), on July 14 said: “The state government has taken different stands at different points of time for different applicants.”
It stated: “The state government is totally inconsistent and the mineral policy of the state is totally in a mess. The state government has adopted a policy that would suit to the situation and favour parties.”
GMMPL had challenged the state government’s recommendation to the Union government for issuing prospecting license to South Korean steel major Posco, ignoring 223 other applications.
“The judgment clearly vindicates our allegation that state government is acting at the behest of private companies,” said Mr Mohapatra.