Bhubaneswar: Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Thursday accused Biju Janata Dal supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of hiding facts in his nomination papers filed for the Hinjli Assembly seat.
Addressing newsmen here, Pradhan alleged the Chief Minister has not mentioned in his nomination papers about his interrogation by the Central investigating agency CBI November 25, 2017 in connection with the allotment of a coal block to a ghost company owned by GD Daga while he was in charge of the Union Coal Ministry.
The Union Minister said M/s Central Collieries Ltd, a Nagpur based company was allotted the Telki Jena Bolera Coal Block April 3, 1998 while the company was registered in January 1999.
Pradhan asked the Chief Minister to say whether he has been interrogated by the CBI or not; if yes why he has not mentioned it in his affidavit submitted along with his nomination paper for Hinjili Assembly seat.
He said the Chief Minister must clarify who is AG Daga and in what way he is related to him.
Recently, one Baibhav Burma in a petition urged the apex court to expedite the case on the allotment of Telki Jena Bolera coal block since the CBI had interrogated Patnaik way back in 2017. Pradhan also criticised the Odisha DGP and Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Commissioner of Police for indulging more in politics than in collecting data to protect the image of BJD president and chief Minister.
To counter the Union Minister, the ruling BJD also convened a news conference and asked Pradhan to reply to nine questions which included the Vapyam scam, booking of guest house for accused in Laxmidhar Dutta murder case, allotment of petol pump to gangster Tito in Kendrapara and his relations with two gangsters in Cuttack.
BJD spokesperson Sasmit Patra questioned the Minister for raising the issue of CBI interrogation after two years.
BJD Lok Sabha member Pinaki Mishra Wednesday ruled out any role of Naveen Patnaik in the coal block allotment. He said Patnaik was in charge of Coal Ministry for two to three months and he has no role in allotment of coal block.