Alleging that the cancellation of agreement between Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) and Sainik Mining Allied Services has exposed the involvement of higher-ups in the Government in the irregularities in coal block allotment, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Niranjan Patnaik on Sunday wanted to know the reason behind such a hasty decision.
Why the State Government, which claims to have no role in coalgate, took such a hasty decision, Niranjan asked The State Government should also clarify whether other companies, which had been allotted coal blocks in the State, are using it properly, he said. OPCC president said the decision taken by State Government on September 18 not to lease any more mines to private parties and operate those through OMC is also not above suspicion. The executive body of OPCC had passed a similar resolution and had demanded the government to accept it, he said.
Niranjan demanded that the State Government should move the Centre to cancel all mining leases of the State and operate them through the OMC. He said all the MoUs signed by the State Government for construction of ports on Odisha coast without floating any tenders should also be cancelled.