Congress Alleges Loot Of Minerals In Odisha, Demands Action Against Erring Miners 

The Opposition Congress on Tuesday alleged massive loot of minerals by mine owners and urged the State government to take stringent action, during the ongoing budget session of the State Assembly.

Alleging that 104 mine owners in the State are plundering the minerals of the State and illegally transporting those outside the State, Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati demanded action against them. 

Bahinipati moved an adjournment notice on the issue, but Speaker Surjya Narayan Patro declined to accept the notice. 

Meanwhile, Opposition BJP alleged that Congress in nexus with the government got the adjournment proposal rejected by the Speaker. 

“It has been exposed that Congress party in nexus with the government created such a situation that the adjournment proposal was rejected. Congress MLA Santosh Singh Saluja himself brought allegations that his party in connivance with the ruling party got the adjournment notice rejected,” alleged Opposition chief whip Mohan Majhi.  

Reacting to the allegations, Bahinipati dared to shun politics if those are proved true.

“We repeatedly demanded discussion on mining irregularities worth over thousands of crores of rupees. If the BJP can prove that the leaders and MLAs of Congress party are involved behind rejection of the adjournment notice, I am ready to quit politics,” Bahinipati dared.

On the other hand, the government chief whip alleged that the Opposition raises the mining irregularities issue whenever they have no issue. 

Pramila Mallick, government chief whip said, “It’s a regular tactics of the Opposition which they have been raising for the past 15 years. There is nothing new in it. Whenever they do not find any issue, they rush to rake up mining irregularities issue in the Assembly.”

On allegations of the Opposition that mining owners are running the government, Mallick said those allegations are completely false and baseless.