Oppn ready to corner govt on chit fund, land scams in assembly

Happy to discuss all issues with Opposition, Naveen says

Opposition parties have lined up issues to corner the Naveen Patnaik government in the winter session of the assembly that begins tomorrow, especially over arrest of ruling party leaders in chit fund related cases and illegal grabbing of government land by influential people, including politicians and bureaucrats.

"We will try to raise the issues which concern most of the Odia people such as chit fund corruption and involvement of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leaders in it. We will also raise the problems faced by farmers such as distress sale of paddy and will certainly talk about allegations about bribing of journalists at an event at Puri in the presence of a ruling party MP," said Basant Panda, head of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislature party in the assembly.

Over last one month, the special investigation team of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested one sitting MP, MLA  and a former MLA of the ruling BJD, citing their involvement in operation of chit fund firms that are alleged to have raised crores of rupees from public unauthorisedly. It had also arrested former advocate general of the state government, but he was released on bail later.

Besides, the BJP will demand the government to make the task force report public on allotment of premium properties to influential people through discretionary quota. The party believes the state government is sitting over the report as most of the people, who had availed more than one plot or house from the government controlled agencies, have close associations with the ruling BJD.

Though there has been no official confirmation from the government over submission of the report of the task force, which was headed by revenue secretary Tara Dutt, sources said it was submitted in the first week of this month. The task force was constituted in August this year with a deadline of four months to review allotment of land and houses under the discretionary quota of the housing and urban development minister after a CAG report pointed out indiscriminate allotments made to senior BJD leaders and bureaucrats under the quota.

Apart from these issues, mining scam in Odisha and deteriorating law and order situation will also figure prominently in Opposition attack. Congress said, it will seek answers from the chief minister on queries regarding signing of MoUs by various government departments with tainted chit fund firms.

"There are lots of issues to raise. We will compel the chief minister to answer about the involvement of government in the business of chit fund firms," said Narasimha Mishra, Leader of Opposition in the assembly. BJD, on the other hand, today instructed its MLAs to talk about government welfare scheme and development issues in the upcoming session, that will end on December 20. Sensing Opposition strategy to slam government over chit fund arrests, the ruling BJD today reiterated its stance distancing itself from arrested leaders.

"The chit fund arrests are limited to individual members and not related to the party. As far as the Opposition parties are concerned, we are happy to discuss any issues on the floor of the assembly," said Naveen Patnaik, after attending a meeting of party MLAs. The second session of the 15th assembly, also referred as Winter session, is expected to pass seven to eight bills including one related to co-operative societies as well as supplementary budget of the state government for the current fiscal.