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BJD-BJP combine flays Cong chargesheet, dubs it baseless
Bhubaneswar, Mar 27: The BJD-BJP alliance in Orissa today dismissed the opposition Congress party`s chargesheet against the Naveen Patnaik government as ``baseless and politically motivated``.
Bhubaneswar, Mar 27: The BJD-BJP alliance in Orissa today dismissed the opposition Congress party's chargesheet against the Naveen Patnaik government as ''baseless and politically motivated''.
Talking to newspersons here BJD secretary general Damodar Rout and BJP secretary Samir Mohanty said as the Congress, was without any election was ''trying to divert the people's attention by leveling false and fabricated allegations against the chief minister''.
They alleged that the Congress, had resorted to falsehood to misled the people. Rout said the allegations of corruption in granting mining lease and allowing private companies to set up steel plants in the state, that figured in the Congress chargesheet, had been discussed in the floor of the house and the chief minister had clarified all the points.
The BJD secretary general defended the rise in steel the prices during the tenure of Naveen Patnaik as Union mines minister, stating that the action indicated the efficiency of the Union minister and not corruption as alleged by the Congress in the chargesheet.
Regarding grant of mining lease, the two leaders said corruption in the mining lease was reported during the tenure of the Congress government when it had granted excess mining lease to the Tatas.
''It was the Naveen Patnaik government which could be able to recover the surplus minings from the Tatas in view of the Supreme Court's judgement,'' they said. Rout further said the Congress government had not come out with a clear cut policy on granting mining lease to the companies for setting up steel plants.
It was during the Naveen Patnaik-government's tenure that as many as 12 companies had shown keen interest in establishing the steel plants, he claimed.
Both Rout and Mohanty also denied the allegation of starvation deaths mentioned in the congress chargesheet, describing the charge as an ''election gimmick'' since the National Human Rights Commisison had already clarified that no starvation death had been reported during the present government's tenure.
Bureau Report
They alleged that the Congress, had resorted to falsehood to misled the people. Rout said the allegations of corruption in granting mining lease and allowing private companies to set up steel plants in the state, that figured in the Congress chargesheet, had been discussed in the floor of the house and the chief minister had clarified all the points.
The BJD secretary general defended the rise in steel the prices during the tenure of Naveen Patnaik as Union mines minister, stating that the action indicated the efficiency of the Union minister and not corruption as alleged by the Congress in the chargesheet.
Regarding grant of mining lease, the two leaders said corruption in the mining lease was reported during the tenure of the Congress government when it had granted excess mining lease to the Tatas.
''It was the Naveen Patnaik government which could be able to recover the surplus minings from the Tatas in view of the Supreme Court's judgement,'' they said. Rout further said the Congress government had not come out with a clear cut policy on granting mining lease to the companies for setting up steel plants.
It was during the Naveen Patnaik-government's tenure that as many as 12 companies had shown keen interest in establishing the steel plants, he claimed.
Both Rout and Mohanty also denied the allegation of starvation deaths mentioned in the congress chargesheet, describing the charge as an ''election gimmick'' since the National Human Rights Commisison had already clarified that no starvation death had been reported during the present government's tenure.
Bureau Report