Cong for SC-monitored probes in Odisha mining, chitfund scams

Congress today alleged that the Centre was "blackmailing" the Naveen Patnaik dispensation to get BJD's support in Parliament, citing Union Minister Jual Oram's purported comments about Odisha government being "let off" in "scams", and sought Supreme Court-monitored probes.
Former Union Minister Jairam Ramesh demanded that the apex court monitor the CBI investigations in chit-fund and mining scams in the state, claiming that Oram's "honest admission" in an interview makes it clear that the Centra has virtually subverted the CBI probe into the chitfund scam.
CBI had "reached the door steps" of Chief Minister Patnaik in the chit fund scam, Congress claimed and alleged that a deal was struck between the BJD supremo and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at their "secret meeting" after which the agency slowed down its probe.

To a query whether the party will move the apex court, he said it will take a call on this.
Flanked by Odisha Congress president Prasad Harichandan at a press conference, Ramesh played a recent media interview of Oram in which he purportedly said, "The central government has let the state government off in many issues including chit fund and mining scams. Had it not been the case, the CBI would have finished them off already. They should thank the Centre for it."
Oram, however, had claimed yesterday that his statement has been misinterpreted. "I have not spoken about any deal. I yesterday told the TV (channel) that CBI going slow in chitfund and mining scam is the perception of the people. Not my own," he had said.

He had asserted that there was no deal between BJD and BJP. "BJD is sometimes supporting us and sometimes opposing NDA government. There is absolutely no deal between the BJD and BJP as alleged by the Congress," Oram had said.

However, the English transcript of his comments--made in Odia--released by Congress today quoted him to have said earlier, "The investigation has actually slowed down but is still going on. Everyone knows the investigation has slowed down. It is not going at the accepted speed."
Ramesh said the remarks of Oram, a BJP MP from the state, made it clear that the CBI, which is probing chit-fund case and not the alleged mining scam, was working as per Modi's wishes and "no more evidence was needed" in this regard.

The Modi government had not taken any decision on the M B Shah's commission report, which recommended a CBI probe into the mining scam, due to this, he claimed.
"CBI's independence has been finished and it has become a political tool. We cannot rely on the government and the Supreme Court should take note of this. BJP is getting the support of BJD in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha through blackmail. BJP and BJD have become two sides of the same coin," he said.
Congress pegged the value of chit fund scam, in which MLAs of BJP and BJD besides a BJD MP were arrested by the CBI, at Rs 50,000 crore and illegal mining scam at Rs 3 lakh crore.

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Asked why the Congress-led UPA government did not act on the Shah commission's report, Ramesh said by the time the Centre studied it properly the country was already in the election mode and it was decided that the succeeding government will take a decision.
At the press conference, Harichandan alleged that the secret meeting Patnaik and Modi occurred on March 11 last and the former promised to extend his party's support to the central government.
"The chief minister has no moral right to continue in the office. His mask of probity has vanished," he said
"The mining scam is to Odisha what the Vyapam scam is to Madhya Pradesh," he said, demanded an SC-monitored CBI probe.

Ramesh said the "misuse" of CBI was not confined to Odisha, making a reference to its probe into the chit-fund scam in West Bengal.