BJP calls BJD regime tainted, threatens 'Maha Sangram'

BHUBANESWAR: Alleging allotment of land by Odisha's General Administration department at low premium was done in an arbitrary way causing Rs 251 crore loss, BJP today said ' Maha Sangram' (bigger battle) would be launched to oust the 'tainted' BJD regime during party President Amit Shah's maiden visit here.

"The BJD government made allotment of land from GAD to several persons in an arbitrary manner at throw away price without following any procedures and principles," senior BJP leader Bijay Mohapatra told reporters here.

Slamming BJD government of using a cabinet decision on land and houses allotted under discretionary quota to suppress massive irregularities committed in allotment of GA plots, Mohapatra said the AG has already pointed out loss of over Rs 251 crore to the state exchequer because of this.

Stating that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik who holds charge of GA department was responsible and accountable for these allotments, he said no policy, guidelines, principles and procedures were followed by the BJD government while alloting GA land at a very low premium.

By announcing cabinet decision of cancellation of plots and houses of Bhubaneswar Development Authority, Cuttack Development Authority and Odisha State Housing Board allotted under discretionary quota since January 1995 the government simply tried to suppress the real scam in GA land allotment, the BJP leader claimed.

Dubbing the recent cabinet decision on discretionary quota as flawed, he said the move was a big drama as the decison contained many contradictions and discrepancies.

Illegal allotment of GA land was just another scandal in the list of chitfund and mining scams, he said adding that in case of ponzi scheme the Naveen Patnaik government claimed no political leader was involved but when CBI probed the scam role of many ruling BJD leaders came to fore.

Similarly, Justice M B Shah Commission has detected several irregilarities in mining activities, he claimed adding now the scam-tainted BJD government has lost all moral right to remain in office.

Therefore, in order to undertake a vigorous campaign against the tainted BJD rule, Amit Shah would launch a 'Maha Sangram' at a public meeting on January 6 during his two-day visit here, Mohapatra said.

He described the 15-year long BJD rule as a dark chapter marked by a series of scams in Odisha's history.