Opp floats 4 ministers names in Ponzi scam

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Press Trust of India Bhubaneswar
Last Updated : Aug 26 2013 | 11:10 PM IST
The Opposition Congress today alleged that four Odisha ministers were involved in the multi-crore chitfund scam and demanded a CBI probe into the loot of depositors across the state.
"Four ministers and a senior party functionary and BJD MLA's names are there in a petition filed in the Supreme Court. Therefore, nexus between the government and the ponzi companies are exposed," leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh told reporters outside the House after participating in a marathon debate over the issue in the assembly.
BJP supported Independent MLA Pratap Sarangi also accused the four ministers of being involved in the scam. Sarangi read out a paper stating the amount allegedly received by the ministers.
Demanding CBI probe into the scam to which he dubbed as "state sponsored," Singh said that the innocent people have been instead more looted by the government than the fraud companies. "Why is government so afraid of issuing a white paper on the illegal money circulation activities," Singh asked.
Panchayati raj minister Kalpataru Das, who was during the time present at the house, immediately denied his involvement in such scam. "If my alleged involvement is proved, I will quit politics," Das announced in floor of the house while three other ministers and a party's senior functionary were yet to react over the matter.
Of the four ministers, three were of Cabinet rank while another was a minister of state, Singh said ridiculing Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's popular statement that law will take its course.
"Law is not taking its natural course when ruling party leaders are involved in any case," the leader of opposition said.
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First Published: Aug 26 2013 | 11:10 PM IST

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