Impasse in Orissa Assembly continues

BHUBANESWAR: The second all-party meeting on Tuesday to resolve the deadlock in Orissa Legislative Assembly failed as the opposition Congress remained firm in their demand for ouster of the two “tainted” ministers of the Naveen Patnaik government.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who attended the meeting, rejected the Opposition’s demand saying it was not acceptable to him. “The Opposition’s demand has no meaning since none of my ministers is involved in the coal scam raised by the Congress.”

Frustrated, the Congress members continued their dharna in front of the Gandhi statue in the Assembly premises and raised slogans against the state government and the tainted ministers.

The Congress is baying for the heads of urban development minister Badrinarayan Patra and mass education minister Pratap Jena alleging that the two ministers had misappropriated Rs 120 crore by diverting Central government provided subsidized coal to fake companies.

“How much evidences the chief minister wants to realise that his ministers are real culprits? We have produced papers showing that the ministers during their respective stints in the Orissa Small Industries Corporation (OSIC) as its chairman had ordered for supply of coal to fake companies. Why is the self-claimed transparent chief minister silent on the coal scam?” Leader of the Opposition, Mr Bhupinder Singh, asked.

The chief minister, on the other hand, said the Congress members were not interested to cooperate in the conduct of the House.

“The Congress members do not seem interested to cooperate with the business of the House. For the greater interest of the state, the Assembly will transact its business even if they do not come and participate despite our repeated requests,” the chief minister said.