BJP HEADING FOR A CBI PROBE FOR ILLEGAL IRON ORE TRANSPORTATION BY THE BJD

BJP HEADING FOR CBI PROBE INTO THE ILLEGAL IRON ORE TRANPORATION 11/10/2011

The Orissa Government has decided to convene a meeting of authorities of various ports to discuss the issue of illegal transportation of iron ore. The list includes Haldia, Vizag and Paradip ports.

The decision to convene such a meeting has been taken after the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) detected illegal transportation of iron ore from some mines in the State. The State Government, however, maintained that it is not getting the required cooperation in receiving information from the authorities of Haldia and Vizag ports.
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The State Government has also sought intervention of the Cabinet Secretary in this regard, Patnaik said and added the Ministry of Shipping had also asked the port authorities to join the operation against illegal mining and ore transportation. But the two port authorities are yet to heed the order for cooperating with the State Government to prevent such illegal practice, he said.

The BJP on Sunday urged the Odisha government to order a CBI probe into the illegal transportation of iron ore.
In a resolution adopted at the extended executive body meeting held here under the chairmanship of the state party president Jual Oram, the party alleged that though the state had suffered loss to the tune of crores in revenue due to clandestine transportation, the State Vigilance had utterly failed to nail the culprits.
Since the railways, ports under the Central government, the forest and the mining department authorities of the state government were involved in the mineral export racket, the state government should hand over the entire matter to the CBI for the interest of the state.

Briefing newsmen on the political resolution adopted at the meeting, Oram condemned the dissolution of the elected cooperative bodies by the state government and alleged that this smacked of political motif of the ruling BJD.

He dubbed the dissolution of cooperative bodies undemocratic and autocratic.
Alleging that the state government had created a political flood in the Mahanadi system last month due to mismanagement of water at the Hirakud reservoir, the meeting demanded formation of a special committee comprising experts to forge a permanent solution to the oft-repeated mistakes, considering the safety of the earth dam and related flood havoc in the down stream.

Oram said that the executive meeting slammed the state government for utterly failing in flood management as well as the relief and post-flood restoration and reconstruction.

He alleged that the ruling BJD was doing petty politics out of the misery of the flood-affected by announcing expenditure of Rs 1,208 crore during the next 45 days, keeping in view the panchayat elections.

The meeting also demanded constitution of an expert committee to find out permanent solution to the frequent floods in the state.
Besides, the party also urged the Centre to convene an all-party meeting to fix the quantum of minimum income for identification of the BPL and urged for early completion of the BPL survey.

The meeting, held at the state party office, was attended by BJP national general secretary Bijay Goel, office bearers and presidents of district units and frontal organizations.

SIDDHARTHA SHANKAR MISHRA,
BUREAU CHIEF,
THESE DAYS. TASVER E HIND, ORISSA, SAMBALPUR