Oppn walk-out over power minister's reply in Assam

Guwahati, Jul 18: The Opposition parties today staged a walk out in the Assam Assembly alleging that Power Minister Pradyut Bordoloi failed to furnish satisfactory reply to complaints of anomalies in awarding contracts in his department.

Leader of Opposition Chandra Mohan Patowary(AGP) and CPI(M)'s Ananta Deka, in a Zero Hour notice, maintained that the two firms which were awarded contracts by the ASEB were found indulged in corrupt practices by an investigating body of engineers.

The firms were reported to have supplied sub-standard materials, which were hazardous to life, as per the report, and had failed in meeting several other norms, they said, citing the reports.

The Opposition questioned the Power department's move of clearing payment of up to Rs 55 crore to one of the firms after the anomalies had come to light and also why the two firms were not blacklisted.

Mr Bordoloi, stressing that any firm found to be violating norms would be blacklisted promptly, informed that another enquiry was on to establish the findings of the previous probe beyond doubt.

He contended that some of the letters and figures quoted by Mr Patowary, while raising the issue, were not correlated and accused the Leader of the Opposition of misleading the House.

This created uproar in the Opposition benches and the combined Opposition of AGP, BJP, AUDF and Left parties staged a walk out.

UNI