Senior Congress leader Niranjan Patnaik on Wednesday urged the State Government to hand over the investigations into the State mining scam to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) without further delay.
Commenting on the Shah Commission’s revelations on the mining scam, Patnaik said, “I have been unequivocally demanding a CBI probe into the mining scam in Odisha. But the State Government is escaping in the name of the Shah Commission. Now, the commission has given its findings, asking the State Government to write to the Centre to notify a CBI probe.”
Terming the mining scam as the biggest swindle in the history of Odisha, Patnaik asked, “How can such huge loot take place if the State Government was indeed honest,” he asked.
“The BJD Government benefitted from the disclosure of Shah Commission report on Karnataka and Goa, and orchestrated all resources at its disposal to waylay the commission. Many legal luminaries appeared before the commission on behalf of the mining lobby to advance many factitious arguments. I am happy that the commission was not impressed,” Patnaik commented.
Stating that CBI investigation into illegal mining on recommendation of Andhra Pradesh Government has put the Reddy brothers of Bellary in jail, Patnaik said the same allegations were made in Odisha and the Shah Commission has confirmed those. He also alleged that the Government issued notices to mining companies for recovery of nearly `2 lakh crore in order to hoodwink the public only.