BJP questioned impartiality of investigation being carried out by the anti-corruption wing of state police in the mining scam.
Terming vigilance probe into the multi-crore mining scam in Orissa as an "eyewash", BJP today questioned impartiality of investigation being carried out by the anti-corruption wing of state police.
"We doubt impartiality of the vigilance probe as it comes under home department headed by chief minister Naveen Patnaik, who himself was in-charge of the steel and mines department for some time in 2007-08", BJP legislature party (BJPLP) leader KV Singhdeo told reporters here.
Demanding an investigation by the CBI, Singhdeo, who had first raised the mining issue in the assembly, claimed that the probe could never be impartial as vigilance officials were state government employees.
"How can vigilance probe involvement of ministers and the chief minister in the mining scam", he asked adding Speaker of Orissa Legislative Assembly (OLA) Pradip Kumar Amat was also a steel and mines minister for over a year.
To back his argument, Singhdeo said the vigilance booked nine persons under lighter sections leaving room for them to avail bail.
Stating that vigilance report was hurriedly prepared in order to protect the chief minister's "clean image", Singhdeo said that only junior officials like deputy directors and forest rangers were taken to task while "real powers" behind the scam remained at large.
The saffron party also claimed that the present steel and mines minister Raghunath Mohanty had admitted on the floor of the assembly that it had allowed a power of attorney holder to guard the mines. "As the government admitted about the permission given to a private person to guard mines, it must be aware of the irregularities", he claimed.
Denouncing the statement of vigilance director Anup Patnaik on amount (Rs 110 cr) of fraud of manganese mineral from two mines, Singhdeo claimed more than Rs 4,000 crore were misappropriated in the process.
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