The State Government on Wednesday admitted that it signed five memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with the Seashore Group of Companies.
Replying to two separate questions of Chandrasekhar Majhi (Congress) and Pradip Purohit (BJP), Tourism and Culture Minister Ashok Panda said the Government signed MoUs with the Seashore for development of five tourist destinations at Atri, Ranipur-Jharial, Nrushinghnath, Harishankar and the Boating Club at Cuttack.
The MoUs entrusted the development and management of the Panthasalas at these places to the Seashore, he said.He also informed that the CBI has taken four files pertaining to the MoU from the Tourism Department.
To an another question of Dilip Ray (BJP), Cooperation Minister Damodar Rout said the Government also signed an MoU with the Seashore in the cooperative sector for revival and development of three defunct cold storages in Cuttack, Hindol and Dhenkanal on public-private-partnership (PPP) mode.
“However, the Government later cancelled the MoU after the company failed to renovate the three cold storages,” he said.It may be mentioned that the CBI is investigating the multi-crore chit fund scam in the Seashore Group of companies.