Deliberations on the all important issue of alleged irregularities in coal block allocations were derailed in the state assembly as Congress MLAs vehemently demanded expunging of remarks made by a ruling party legislator against veteran Congress leader and former chief minister Hemanand Biswal.
Earlier, speaker Pradeep Kumar Amat had admitted an adjournment motion on the coal block scam. But the Congress MLAs refrained from participating in the debate after steel & mines minister Rajnikant Singh gave his reply to the motion.
The Congress legislators trooped into the well, shouting slogans after BJD MLA Samir Dash alleged that Biswal had sought favours from Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL).
Senior Congress leader and Opposition chief whip Prasad Harichandan complained that the BJD MLA used unparliamentary language against the former chief minister and urged the speaker to get the remarks expunged immediately.
Though the speaker assured the irate Congress legislators that he would examine the matter and expunge the unsavoury remark, if any, it failed to pacify them. The Congress MLAs created an unruly scenes, forcing the speaker to adjourn the house twice.
Stepping up attack on the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Opposition leader Bhupinder Singh alleged that using unparliamentary remarks against Biswal was the ruling party's ploy to avoid discussions on the adjournment motion.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader K V Singhdeo, however, blamed both Congress and the ruling BJD for the mess.
“Both parties have skeletons to hide. The Coalgate scandal will expose both the BJD and Congress. That is the reason both the parties are avoiding a debate on the floor of the house,” Singhdeo told the media outside the house.
Meanwhile, defending his government’s stand on the issue, the steel & mines minister Rajnikant Singh said, “Coal block allocation is done by the Centre and the state government has no role to play in the process. Before the amendment to Mines & Minerals (Development & Regulation) Act-1957 was notified, coal block allocation was decided by an inter-ministerial panel of the Central government. The Odisha government had recommended allocation of coal blocks to promote industrialisation in the state. Other objectives for coal block allocation were to ensure revenue gains for the state government and optimum utilization of coal deposits.” Between 2001-02 to 2011-12, the state government recommended coal block allocation for Bhusan Steel, Jindal Steel & Power Ltd (JSPL), Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC), Scaw Industries Ltd, Adhunik Metaliks Ltd, Rungta Mines Ltd, Arati Steels Ltd, BRG Iron & Steel Company Ltd, Bhusan Steel Ltd, MSP Metaliks Ltd, Uttam Galva Ltd, Tata Group and Sason Synfuels International and Hindalco Industries Ltd, the minister informed.
