Rejection of Owners' Rights bill unfortunate : Singh

Jamshedpur, Dec 23 (UNI) Jharkhand Vikash Morcha (Democratic) central committee secretary Abhay Singh today described as unfortunate the rejection of the much-hyped Jharkhand State Owners' Rights Bill,2006, by Jharkhand Assembly Speaker Alamgir Alam.

Talking to newsmen here, he said it was tantamount to betrayal of the people of 86 bustees in and around the steel city here.

The Personal Bill was brought on the concluding day of the winter session of the Assembly by BJP MLA from Jamshedpur (West) Sarayu Rai yesterday but the legislation was not accepted.

Reacting to the rejection of the Bill, Mr Singh aleged that tabling of the Bill in the House by Mr Rai was nothing but an ''eyewash'' by the BJP.

He said the former Jharkhand Finance Minister and the MLA from Jamshedpur(East), who made the ownership issue as major political plank for the last 13 years, was found missing in the Assembly when the Bill was tabled.

Mr Singh said the Opposition from the UPA and the NDA's non-committal stance on the Bill was like a ''fixed match'' and the JVM(D) would unmusk those leaders, who extracted political mileage from the issue for the last 13 years.

He also alleged that Mr Das had misused the fund earmarked for the MLA quota and demanded a CBI proble into ''misappropriation'' of the government fund.

UNI BDG SJC RN1842