BJP accuses Jena of model code of conduct violation

A day after the Centre signed an MoU for revival of an urea plant at Talcher in Odisha, the BJP today alleged that Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertiliser Srikant Jena is violating model code of conduct for the urban local bodies elections.
The opposition party in a petition to the State Election Commission claimed that Jena violated MCC by announcing revival of the Talcher Fertiliser Plant.
"The motive of the revival announcement is to influence people in urban local body (ULB) elections," the petition said.
Though the plant was closed since 2002 the Centre did not take any step to revive it till the elections were announced for the urban polls on September 19, the petition said adding that the SEC had earlier asked both the state government and the Centre not to make any popular announcement which would influence voters.

Jena yesterday at a media conference in New Delhi said that a consortium of Rashtriya Chemicals Fertilisers (RCF), GAIL, CIL and FCIL will invest Rs 8,000 crore for the revival of urea plant at Talcher in Orissa with production capacity of 1.2 million tonnes per annum.
The ruling BJD also raised objections to the Centre's announcement in regard to Talcher plant. "It is a good decision to revive the closed fertiliser plant. But it smells of political motivation," said BJD vice-president and health minister Damodar Rout.