CPI to launch week-long stir in Odisha to demand CBI probe into mining, land scams

Reported by Chinmaya Dehury
Bhubaneswar, Aug 31:

The Odisha wing of the Communist Party of India (CPI) today said it would launch a week-long state-wide agitation from September 15 seeking a CBI probe into the multi thousand-crore mining and land scams and the refund of money to chit fund depositors duped by chit fund companies.

Accusing the Naveen Patnaik government of turning the state into a sanctuary for “plunderers”, the CPI state secretary Dibakar Nayak said the CBI inquiry into land scam and mining scam would unmask the ruling party politicians.

Stating that real culprits in both the scams can be punished only through a thorough probe, Nayak said though the Shah Commission recommended a CBI inquiry into the multi-crore mining scam, neither the Odisha government nor the Centre was in favour of such a probe.

Alleging that people who had looted huge money through mining and chit fund scams as well as land grab were ruling the roost in Odisha, he said the state investigating agencies would not be able to conduct fair and impartial probe into the matter as many ruling party politicians, ministers and bureaucrats are involved in the corruption and illegalities.

The CPI leader said his party would intensity its agitation further if CBI investigation was not ordered into all the scams.

Demands like adequate compensation to farmers in the flood affected areas and distribution of ‘pattas’ to the landless would also be raised during the week-long civil disobedience movement across the state, including block and tehsil level, Nayak said.

Forward Bloc joins demand for CBI probe

The All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) joined the demand for a CBI probe into the multi-crore mining and land scams in Odisha.

The AIFB Sunday said it will soon release names of the influential persons including leaders of the ruling party allegedly involved in the land grabbing.

“Our state unit activists would release names of the leaders, bureaucrats and other involved in the land scam. We will stage protests wherever the tainted leaders and officers go to attend meetings,” AIFB general secretary Debabrata Biswas told reporters here.

Accusing both Narendra Modi-led NDA government at the Centre and the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government in the state to be working for the interests of  multi-national companies, Biswas said AIFB will be soon launching its agitation on land and mining scams.

Biswas said the party’s state convention would be held at Puri in November.

“Till then, we have appointed Purna Chandra Padhi as the state convenor of the AIFB in Odisha,” he said.