Reacting sharply to the accusation by Minister Damodar Rout that he had influenced the State Government to promote the chit fund firm Seashore Group’s business and help it get into tie-ups with the Government, president of Odisha Jan Morcha and Rajya Sabha member Pyarimohan Mohapatra on Thursday demanded Rout’s removal from the Cabinet for violation of oath of office of a Minister.
“The statements by Rout are not only baseless but also violate the oath taken by him during his inclusion into the Cabinet. It is now up to the Chief Minister to take a call on whether such a person should be allowed to continue as a Minister any further,” Mohapatra, former principal political adviser to CM Naveen Patnaik told the media.
On Wednesday, Rout had stated that the business of the Seashore company had flourished because of the patronage it had received from the State Government. He had also accused Pyarimohan Mohapatra of facilitating the firm’s growth by influencing the State administration.
“Whatever the Minister stated yesterday about the chit fund scam is against the Odisha Government, not against me. The Minister has talked in public against the Government, not against me,” said Mohapatra remarked.
Mohapatra asked the Chief Minister to sack Rout from the Ministry for breaching the oath of his office.
He also lashed out at the Government for not taking any action against the Seashore company and sitting over the report of the Central Economic Intelligence Bureau of the Department of Revenue, which had informed the State Government about the illegal running of money circulation schemes by the company as early as in February 2011.
“Why didn’t the then Chief Secretary Bijay Kumar Patnaik inform the Chief Minister about the report (from the Centre)IJ And if he had informed, how is it that the Chief Minister attended the programme of the Seashore GroupIJ The role of the then Chief Secretary should be under the scanner,” said Mohapatra.
In his reaction, Rout said, “I am well aware of my responsibilities and have not dishonoured my office or position. Besides, who is he (Pyari) to ask for my removal from my postIJ”