The State Assembly on Thursday witnessed heated exchanges between the Opposition and Treasury Bench members over the demand for a White Paper on the multi-core chit fund scam and a remark on UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi by BJD MlA Ranedra Pratap Swain, which forced adjournment of the House for half an hour during the Zero Hour.
Raising the chit fund issue soon after the Question Hour, leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh alleged that the BJD-led Government had broken all records during its 13-year-rule as far as corruption was concerned. The mining, dal, water and coal scams and the recent chit fund scam had exposed the real face of the BJD Government, he said.
Demanding a White Paper on the chit fund scam in which some of the Ministers, MlAs and senior MlAs and leaders are allegedly involved, Singh sought a clarification to the House as to the procedure to return the funds to lakhs of victims of the fraudulent chit fund companies.
He regretted that though he had written to the Chief Minister on the issue, he got no response and demanded that the issue should be discussed in the House as some of the Ministers and senior BJD leaders had nexus with the chit fund companies like Seashore and Arthatatwa and also encouraged the scamsters.
Countering the leader of Opposition, Treasury Bench member Ranendra Pratap Swain said that Congress was shedding crocodile tears on the chit fund issue and wanted to know whether leaders from the Opposition parties had deposited huge amount with the chit fund companies by looting the State.
As Swain made some remarks against UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi criticising her for inaugurating the Central Government's Food Security programme and questioned her Constitutional status, the Congress members flew into rage and trooped into the Well in protest.
Shouting slogans demanding White Paper on chit fund scam and return of money to the affected depositors, the Congress MlAs demonstrated in the Well. As the House witnessed noisy scene, Deputy Speaker Sanad Marandi adjourned it for half an hour at 11.43 am. Disapproving the Statement of ruling party member Swain, senior BJP member and former BJP legislature party leader KV Singh Deo said that before ridiculing the depositors, Swain should know that they are citizens of Odisha and most of them are poor.
Alleging that the Government had been trying to shield the culprits, Singh Deo demanded that instead of conducting three inquiries by a Commission of inquiry, Crime Branch and the Bhubaneswar Commissionerate Police, the State Government should go for CBI probe to unearth the truth. However, Swain asserted that the State Government had taken all possible steps to return the money to the affected persons and had made legislation much before the scam. But he opined that the poor people should be returned their hard earned money, but those who deposited huge funds by looting the State to become millionaire should not be returned their money.
BJP supported Independent MlA Pratap Sarangi staged a demonstration in the Well for not being given a chance by the chair to make his point on chit fund issue.
Among others, Congress members Naba Kishore Das, Anup Sai and BJD member Pradeep Maharathy also spoke on the issue.