Cabinet decision on Task Force on DQ confusing: BJP

--‘Why CM silent on land scam in State’

BHUBANESWAR: BJP senior leader Bijoy Mohapatra on Friday alleged that the State Cabinet’s decision to cancel all allotments of flat and plot under discretionary quota (DQ) and launch a Vigilance probe into the illegality was confusing.

The decision was prepared by somebody and it was tabled before the Cabinet and then it was approved. “If you see the decision technically, it is highly confusing. Even the Cabinet Ministers also don’t the decision before it was tabled in the Cabinet,”    

Briefing the mediapersons, Mohapatra said the State Government has taken the decision in haste keeping in view the present political situation of the State. Fearing the BJP national president Amit Shah’s visit to the State on January 5 and 6, the State Government took the decision. 

“The Government has neither studied the Supreme Court decision in the Satish Sharma case or the decision of the Odisha High Court in a similar case. I have absolutely no doubt that the decision taken by the cabinet will not stand scrutiny of the law,” said Mohapatra and added that the State Government has taken yet another illegal decision.

He also criticised the State Government for ordering the Vigilance probe in the DQ issue. “Why the State again ordered a probe which was handed over to the Taradutt Committee,” he said, adding, “We know what the fate of the Vigilance probe in Odisha.”

He said that land scam is a bigger scam in Odisha, but the State Government didn’t take any decision in the Cabinet meeting regarding the land scam. The Government maintained silence after taking decision on the DQ which is a small portion of the scam. Why the Chief Minister is silent in the case of Ghangapatna land scam, land allotted for hospitals and industries which have been misused by the lessees, he questioned. 

In Ghangapatna case, Mohapatra said, the Chief Minister had ordered a probe to know that which department had sanctioned Rs 5 lakh for construction of roads in the controversial road. But what happened to the probe and how the Revenue Department drew a conclusion in the case, he added. 

“Why the Chief Minister is silent in these issues,” he questioned, adding, “Dear Chief Minister, all roads in the chit fund scam and land scam have been closed for you. You cannot hoodwink the people of the State anymore.”