Oppn bedlam in Chhattisgarh Assembly over paddy scam

Raipur, July 13 (UNI) The Chhattisgarh Assembly's Opposition Congress members today raised slogans -- forcing a brief adjournment -- demanding an inquiry either by CBI or by a house committee into a paddy scam.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Mr Nandkumar Patel (Cong) alleged that the state government was attempting to avoid a probe for reasons best known to it.

''Even those charged with siphoning off paddy worth crores, have been demanding a CBI inquiry,'' he added.

Mr Novil Kumar Verma (NCP) felt that no probe should be ordered if the BJP regime was convinced that its leaders or supporters were involved. ''Otherwise, it should not hesitate to order an inquiry,'' he added.

Mr Tamradwaj Sahu (Cong) said that the Government did not reply to points raised by the Opposition through an adjournment motion hence there was need for debate on the issue. Mr Mohammad Akbar (Cong) said that the probe into the scam had been handed over to the state CID while it should have been entrusted to CBI or a house committee.

Speaker Prem Prakash Pandey said that the House already discussed the issue through an adjournment motion and he received a few other notices that, he said, were under consideration.

As the Opposition members requested Mr Pandey to direct the regime to order an inquiry, the Speaker quipped, ''the Chair is not supposed to do the government's job.'' As Congress members began raising slogans, the Speaker adjourned the House for five minutes.

UNI