Five ministers, 8 BJD MLAs linked to ponzi scam in Odisha: OJM

Berhampur, June 12: Ridiculing the ruling BJD's Delhi rally, Odisha Jan Morcha (OJM) on monday claimed that five ministers and eight ruling party MLAs were involved in the multi-crore chitfund scam in the state.

"At least five ministers and eight MLAs of the ruling party were involved in the chit fund scam. The Swabhiman rally at New Delhi is to divert the attention of the public from the burning issue", OJM president and Rajya Sabha MP Pyarimohan Mohapatra said while addressing a gathering here.

Taking a dig at the ruling party led by Naveen Patnaik, the OJM leader said that people were duped of thousands of crores of rupees by the ponzi companies which grew at the patronage of the BJD leaders.

On the BJD's Delhi rally, Mohapatra said, "If the rally at New Delhi was organised to mount pressure on the Centre to get the special category status for Odisha, why the ruling party did not take others as they too had supported a resolution passed in this context."

It is only a political gimmick keeping an eye on the next elections, Mohapatra said adding that the state could earn an additional Rs 4,000 crore to Rs 5,000 crore if rate of royalty on minerals were raised suitably.

OJM vice president and former MLA Rajendra Singh demanded the fiscal autonomy for the state.

Asking the state government to make names of the politicians, ministers and MLAs public and their role in promoting ponzi companies, Mohapatra demanded an impartial inquiry into the matter.

The depositors money should be distributed among the investors by confiscating property of the officials of the dubious companies immediately, he demanded.

PTI