Opposition to protest waiving of interest on Reliance ADA

Bhubaneswar, July 28 (UNI) Four Opposition political parties in Orissa today decided to organise protest demonstrations before the state Assembly here on August 1 to protest waiving of Rs 840 crores interest to Reliance ADA company.

At a joint meeting here, leaders of Orissa Gana Parishad(OGP), CPI, CPI(M) and Janata Dal(S) took strong exception to a recent order of the Orissa Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC) waiving the Rs 840 crore interest and allowing the Reliance ADA to pay its dues of Rs 1200 crores in 120 installments.

The Opposition parties demanded cancellation of the OERC order, collection of electricity dues of Rs 100 crores from the Indian Metals Ferro Alloys (IMFA) and a CBI inquiry into the largescale corruption in the Indira Awas Yojana (IAY) in the state.

In a joint statement here, OGP president Bijaya Mohapatra, CPI state secretary Nityananda Pradhan, CPM state secretary member Santosh Das and Janata Dal(S) Secretary Krushna Chandra Patra said the Orissa government must give a clarification as to why the Reliance ADA had been given so much concession on payment of the electricity dues.

The opposition political parties demanded necessary amendments to make the OERC accountable to the Assembly, abolition of the power reform and removal of the private companies from the distribution of power in the state.

The Opposition leaders said the people of Orissa were taken aback when the state government did not take any steps to realise the Rs 2,000 crores dues pending with the Reliance ADA company before proceeding for signing of an agreement for setting up of a mega thermal power plant in the state.

On the corruption in the IAY scheme, they alleged that houses under the IAY scheme has been auctioned by the ruling party workers in every block. The state government, the Opposition leaders said instead of taking action to curb corruption, was encouraging the ruling workers.

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