Mahto wants CBI probe to Rajasthan trip of Jharkhand MLAs

Jamshedpur, Mar 31 (UNI) Leader of opposition in the Jharkhand Assembly Sudhir Mahto today demanded CBI inquiry into the ''misappropriation'' of public money during the recent ''luxurious'' trip of 36 NDA Legislators to Rajasthan.

Talking to the mediapersons here after returning from Delhi, Mr Mahto also demanded to convene a special Assembly session to table the details of expenditure of the trip and issue a white paper in this regard.

Mr Mahto said, '' We have heard of exodus of poor labourers from one state to another but the mass exodus of Legislatorts, including the Chief Minister, is unprecedented. '' He alleged that on the one hand the state was reeling under severe water crisis and people were dying of starvation, on the other all development works were stalled and the government was frittering away public funds for enjoyment.

He also sought clarifications of hiring highly expensive chartered plane for ferrying the MLAs to Delhi and Rajasthan.

Mr Mahto said this government had no right to continue in the office for a single minute and the NDA MLAs, whose names had been sent to the Election Commission by the state Governor on the issue of offices of profit, should step down immediately following the footsteps of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

The JMM leader said a meeting would be held at the residence of the JMM supremo and Coal Minister Shibu Soren in Ranchi on April 3 to chalk out the future course of agitation against the NDA government in the state.

Mr Mahto, member of the delegation of UPA MLAs, who met President A P J Abdul Kalam and Ms Sonia Gandhi, said the delegation apprised the President and Ms Gandhi of the prevailing situation in Jharkhand and urged them to initiate action under the Constitutional provisions.

UNI