The State Government on Monday rejected the Opposition’s demand for Supreme Court or High Court monitored CBI inquiry into the multi-crore chit fund scam triggering a walkout by the Congress law makers in the Assembly.
A four-and-a-half hours long marathon discussion over the admissibility of an adjournment motion relating to the chit fund scam generated heat that led to acrimonious exchanges between the Opposition and Treasury Bench members.
The Opposition members quoting newspaper reports and affidavits filed in court of law alleged that some members of Council of Ministers and BJD MlAs were involved in the chit fund scam and accused Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of being the “brand ambassador” of the chit fund companies.
They alleged Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kalpataru Das, Revenue Minister Surya Narayan Patro, Energy Minister Arun Sahoo, Government Chief Whip Pravat Tripathy, Government Deputy Chief Whip Sanjaya Das Burma and even the Finance Minister Prasanna Achayara having nexus with the chit fund companies. Even the Opposition did not spare the Advocate General alleging that despite knowing the criminal misconduct of Artha Tatwa head Pradip Sethy for his fraud, he had purchased a building and land from chit fund kingpin.
However, taking strong exception to the allegation, while Das Burma dubbed it as a malicious propaganda, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Das dared to take ‘sanyas’ from politics if allegation of his link with chit fund companies was proved.
Congress Chief Whip Prasad Harichandan alleged that despite the warning from RBI in 2004 along with a set of names of fraudulent non-banking financial organisations, the State Government did not take any action that led to the “Maha chit fund scam” in which as many as 20 lakh depositors were affected. An estimated Rs 50,000 crore fraud was committed by the firms, he said.
He alleged that the State Government in order to shield the chit fund companies and the Ministers and ruling party leaders and MlAs had undertaken an inquiry by general police, Commissionerate of Police and EOW of Crime Branch. In order to show its transparent and clean image, the Chief Minister had constituted a Judicial Commission of Inquiry, which would be of little use, he asserted, demanding a CBI probe into the case under the direct supervision of the Supreme Court or the Odisha High Court.
The Opposition members also urged the Government to find out a mechanism for refund of the money in time-bound manner to the poor depositors instead of those who had amassed their black money. The Treasury Bench members though dubbed the allegations of the Opposition as politically motivated, they also urged the Government to ensure smooth refund of the money of the affected depositors.
Participating in the discussion, Finance Minister Acharya said that since the State police and Crime Branch were capable of unearthing the chit fund scam and the State Government had already constituted a Judicial Commission headed by Justice RK Patra, a retired High Court judge to probe the case and recommend how to prevent the crime, there was no need of any CBI inquiry. However, he said if the apex court orders a CBI probe, the State Government will do the needful.
Acharya said that in order to safeguard the interest of the depositors, the State Government was in process to implement a new law which has already got the Presidential assent. He assured that the properties of the fraudulent chit fund companies would be attached and auctioned off to refund the affected depositors their hard earned money. Besides, he said the Chief Minister had announced constitution of a corpus fund amounting to Rs 300 crore to compensate the affected depositors and if needed, the Government would provide more money to the fund.
Affirming that no persons or institutions irrespective of status in the Government or non-Government organisation involved in the chit fund scam would be spared, Acharya asked the Opposition to submit petitions against any influential persons or organizations alleged to have link with the chit fund companies in proper process before the Judicial Commission.