Opposition wants Odisha CM to be quizzed in coal block scam

Opposition parties Wednesday demanded that Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik should be quizzed for recommending that Hindalco, a company of the Aditya Birla Group, be alloted a coal block.

The demand came a day after a special court in Delhi ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to record former prime minister Manmohan Singh's statement in connection with the coal blocks allocation scam.

"If former prime minister can be interrogated in the coal block allocation scam, the CBI should also interrogate the Odisha chief minister for selectively recommending for a company to allocate coal block," state BJP president K.P. Singhdeo said at a press conference here.

"He cannot escape from the scam and has to face the CBI inquiry," he said.

In 2005, Patnaik recommended to the central government to allocate the Talabira II coal block to Hindalco. In a letter to Singh, Patnaik said his government had given "top most priority" to Hindalco, which is setting up an aluminium smelter plant in Odisha.

Singhdeo also took a dig at Patnaik's claim that the letter written to Singh was in the "greater interest" of the state.

"He cannot get away from the scam by saying it was done in the state's interest. If the recommendation was for value addition, then why did Patnaik adopt a selective policy to recommend coal blocks only for certain companies," he said.

Pradesh Congress Committee president Prasad Harichandan also demanded interrogation of the chief minister in the scam.

"Before CBI interrogates the former prime minister, the central investigating agency should interrogate Odisha chief minister, who is main source of the scam," Harichandan told the media.

The ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD), however, rubbished the allegations and said they were politically motivated.

"All the documents relating to the coal block allocation are with CBI and the court. They will take the action deemed fit. The demand of opposition is politically motivated," said BJD spokesperson Pratap Dev.

Hindalco was setting up an aluminium smelter plant with an annual capacity of 2,60,000 tonnes in Sambalpur district for which the company needed a captive power plant of 900 MW capacity.