Seashore appointed Pradeep Majhi’s brother as commission agent!

Bhubaneswar: A day after money transfer from the bank account of Seashore to the account of Bhagaban Majhi, father of former MP and Congress leader Pradeep Majhi, came to the fore, a letter issued by Seashore Agricultural Promotion Company appointing Prasanna Majhi, younger brother of Pradeep, as its commission agent has created more ripples in political circles in the State.

According to the appointment letter, which is in possession of OTV, the company had appointed Prasanna Majhi as a commission agent for procurement and supply of maize.

Bank account details of Prasanna show transactions of Rs 1.62 crore with Seashore that was undertaken after Rs 35 lakh was transferred from the company to the account of Bhagaban Majhi, his father.

Commenting on the issue, Pradeep Majhi said, “We are fighting for the rights of tribals. Therefore, we are having a face-off with BJD because of which they are giving this kind of statement. These allegations are baseless and time will tell what is the truth.”

Notably, Bhagaban Majhi had said yesterday that the money in question was payment for maize sold to Seashore Agricultural Promotion Company Pvt Ltd.

“I am a farmer. I had cultivated maize on 40 acres of land and sold the produce to the company. The money was transferred after final calculation to my account and that of my son. It has nothing to do with the chit fund business,” Bhagaban Majhi had said.

Meanwhile, Satya, the person who deposited large amounts in Bhagaban Majhi's SBI account at Umerkote branch in 2010, said today, “The power of attorney of the petrol pump which I am operating as a manager, is with Bhagaban Majhi. The money deposited in his account was sales proceeds of the petrol pump.”

Denying any chit-fund link to the said money, Satya said, “I don’t know about chit fund money.”

Following allegation of links with chit fund company Seashre against Pradeep Majhi’s family, Nabarangpur MP and BJD leader Balabhadra Majhi said maize farming does not generate so much profit. "The CBI should inquire into the matter," he said.

“The maize farming is just a cover-up. The familyhas Seashore links and only a CBI inquiry can bring the truth out,” Majhi added.

Demanding an investigation into the charges, Taraprasad Bahinipati, Congress chief whip, said, “The allegations must be probed and he (Pradeep) should come out clean. Though I have a long time rapport with him, I do not know if he has any links with any chit fund company.”

However, some questions remain unanswered. Is there anything the family of Pradeep Majhi is trying to hide? While the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is investigating into business links between persons or organisations with chit-fund companies, why did the transfer of such huge amounts never come under the scanner of the investigating agencies during the course of their probe into the chit fund scam?