Groundnut 'scam': Cong for probe by all-party panel under HC

The Congress today met Gujarat Governor O P Kohli and demanded an enquiry into a Rs 4,000 crore "groundnut scam" by forming an all-party committee under a sitting high court judge.

A delegation of Congress MLAs also demanded cancellation of satellite-based land survey being conducted by a private agency on behalf of the state government, which it said is causing hardship to farmers due to "largely faulty measures".

The delegation was led by state unit president Amit Chavda and Leader of Opposition Paresh Dhanani.

The Congress told the governor that the state government was shying away from setting up an enquiry committee into the "Rs 4,000 crore scam" due to involvement of top-level government officials and ministers.

In its memorandum submitted to the governor, the Congress appealed to him to allow people to hold non-violent protests by doing away with the need to seek prior permission of authorities.

The demand came days after the authorities denied permission to quota leader Hardik Patel to hold hunger strike at a ground in Ahmedabad and later at Satyagrah Chhavni in Gandhinagar.

The Congress demanded that an enquiry committee be set up under a sitting high court judge comprising representatives of all political parties to look into the "scam".

The opposition party said the committee of inquiry set up under a retired judge to look into fire at four godowns of groundnut is an "eye-wash".

"The enquiry committee should find out what prompted the government to appoint a central agency as a nodal agency for the purchase of groundnut and why the support price was raised before the (2017) elections and slashed after the polls," it stated.

The Congress said the government had hired a private agency by paying them Rs 262 crore in digitised land record project.

The party claimed that 90 per cent of the survey has yielded faulty results.

The party also demanded that the private agency be either made to rectify mistakes or the satellite-based survey measurements be cancelled and the entire amount recovered.