The Hindu : Other States / Orissa News : Long-drawn impasse over Vedanta issues ends

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Saturday, Jul 07, 2007
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Long-drawn impasse over Vedanta issues ends

Special Correspondent

Sequel to Opposition submitting a memorandum to Governor

CBI probe sought into alleged payment of money to the ruling BJD
Earlier, Opposition members raise slogans, stall House proceedings

BHUBANESWAR: Normality returned to the Assembly on Friday after opposition parties submitted a memorandum to Governor Rameshwar Thakur, demanding a CBI probe into the alleged payment of money by a trust run by the Vedanta Group to the ruling Biju Janata Dal.

Insisting on a discussion on the issue and a CBI probe into the alleged contributions to political parties in the State, particularly the BJD, opposition legislators rushed to the well of the House when the morning session began at 10.30 a.m.

As opposition members continued shouting slogans and stalled the proceedings, Speaker Maheshwar Mohanty adjourned the House till 12 noon.

Soon after the proceedings were adjourned, seven opposition legislators belonging to the Congress, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Communist Party of India and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha led by Leader of the Opposition J.B. Patnaik went and submitted the memorandum in the Governor’s office.

When the proceedings resumed at 12 noon, the Opposition Leader informed the Assembly that a memorandum had been submitted by them to the Governor for a CBI probe as their demand was not considered in the House.

Mr. Patnaik said since the Governor was not present at Raj Bhavan, they spoke to him over the phone and Mr. Thakur told them that their demand would be considered. The proceedings of the Assembly were then conducted without any trouble.

The Opposition had stalled the proceedings for several hours on Wednesday and the whole day on Thursday demanding a discussion on the mentions made in a book titled ‘Vedanta’s Billions’ alleging that payments were made to political parties by a trust run by the Vedanta Group with a view to furthering their business interests in the State.

The CBI should be asked to investigate as to who all were the beneficiaries of such payments, they demanded. In the memorandum addressed to the Governor, the Opposition submitted that the ruling BJD had spent hundreds of crores of rupees during the last panchayat elections and silence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik over the issue had led them to believe that he received huge money from Vedanta.

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