Coal scam: CAG report shocking, says Naveen Patnaik

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday described as 'shocking' the Comptroller and Auditor General's (CAG) report reportedly pegging a Rs10.7 lakh crore loss to the exchequer due to coal allocations between 2004 and 2009.

"This is truely shocking as the issue has been raised in Parliament. It is a mega-mega scam and a sad development," Patnaik told reporters outside the assembly while his partymen shouted anti-UPA slogans in the house.

Treasury bench members raised the issue when opposition Congress MLAs were demanding the chief minister's clarification on his reported statement against the Centre over ongoing hostage crisis.

The house also witnessed heated exchange of words between opposition and ruling party MLAs.

BJD MLA and former minister Damodar Rout demanded a CBI probe, while another party legislator Sanjay Dasburma claimed that the coal scam had crossed irregularities like 2G Spectrum case and Commonwealth Games.