BHUBANESWAR: Stepping up attack on the ruling BJD, the BJP on Thursday demanded that Rajya Sabha member and former health minister Prasanna Acharya should be brought under the purview of the CBI probe for his alleged link with two chit fund companies.
Accusing Acharya of showing undue favour to the Green Ray International Limited (GRIL), one of the chit fund companies which looted around Rs 2,000 crore from small investors of 14 States including Odisha, BJP MLA Pradip Purohit alleged that the BJD leader during his tenure as Health and Family Welfare Minister had granted licence to the company for manufacturing pharmaceutical products.
The chit fund company, which had no experience in the manufacturing of pharmaceutical products, had signed a Rs 80-crore drug manufacturing deal with the State Government. The company manufactured addictive drugs and earned huge profit, he said.
Purohit further alleged that Acharya had also attended the inaugural function of the company which clearly proved that he had some vested interest in the company.The BJD leader should clarify on what basis the State Government gave permission to GRIL for manufacturing medicines without any expertise in the pharmaceutical business.
Similarly, Acharya had shown favour to Seashore Group, another chit fund company, for establishment of Medical College and Hospital. Besides, the company was given permission for managing health services in nine primary health centres and opening diagnostic centres in the State in clear violation of the established norms, the BJP leader said. If these dubious deals will be brought under the purview of the CBI probe, Acharya’s link with the two chit fund companies will come to fore, he said.
Refuting the charges, Acharya said, if the BJP has any evidence they should hand it over to the CBI for investigation. “I am ready to face any kind of probe,” he said.