BJP demands CBI inquiry into "multi-crore rupee rice scam"

Kolkata, Oct 19 (UNI) West Bengal BJP today demanded a CBI inquiry into the alleged Rs 200 crore financial scam in the state government undertaking WBCONFED and the resignation of Food Minister Paresh Adhikari.

In a letter to Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacherjee, the copies of which were released to the media, BJP state general secretary Rahul Sinha lauded the state administration for suspending the WBCONFED Chairman, the main accuced in the rice and paddy sales scam, and called for handing over the ongoing CID inquiry to the CBI.

Apprehending that the present inquiry by the state government's Criminal Investigation Department(CID) might be influenced by certain quarters, Mr Sinha hoped only a CBI probe could expose the true dimension of the scam and bring to the fore the real culprits.

Incidentally, Mr Sinha wrote another letter to the Chief Minister on September nine on the same issue following which the WBCONFED Chairman was removed from his post and the government indefinitely suspended the sale of rice and paddy from the firm, the main agent of the Food Corporation of India(FCI).

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