Main Opposition party Congress today decided to corner the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) with the leaked reports of Shah Commission of enquiry, which has indicted the state government along with Centre for not taking actions against miners in cases of forest and environment rule violation, in the last session of 14th assembly that starts tomorrow.
The Commission report said both the Centre and state government had lax attitude towards blatant violation of rules by miners. As several miners have conducted mining operation without valid clearances, the activity be termed as illegal along with present criteria of mining beyond lease area, said the leaked reports.
The party leaders have already demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik after the reports were leaked last week. BJD on the other hand has planned to counter the Opposition party on the issue of mineral royalty revision which has been pending since 2012. "We will take up several issues like the neglect of the Centre towards providing rehabilitation assistance after cyclone Phailin, expansion of railway network and (revision of) royalty on minerals. All these issues will be taken up with the Opposition," said Patnaik after the meeting of the party's legislative members.
The treasury bench has also plans to defend Opposition attack on Shah Commission reports by providing detail of the measures taken by the state government and vigilance probe. The BJD will highlight the lapses of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) and Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) to check the illegal mining activity, as mentioned in the enquiry report, party sources said.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which will raise the issue of distress sale of paddy in the assembly, has decided to demand the resignation of the Chief MInister following the Shah Commission report.
"The BJP will seek resignation of the Chief Minister and all the ministers. Following the indictment of the Shah Commission report, the government has no moral right to stay in the power," said Jayanarayan Mishra, party head in the assembly. The last session of the state assembly ahead of General Elections in May will be held from February 3 to 13. Apart from passage of the vote-on-account, the session will also see introduction of Lokayukta Bill.
