CUTTACK/ PARADIP: After expulsion from the ruling BJD, Paradip MLA Damodar Rout on Tuesday kicked off his ‘Paribartan Yatra’ from Mahanga by targeting BJD Government over corruption and maladministration. Attending a function arranged by Birupa Sahitya Sanskruti Parishad to commemorate the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, Lal Bahadur Sastri and eminent teacher Biswanath Panda at Maruti Mandap, Rout said he was offered bribe of Rs 1 crore to hush up the sapling scam issue.
Rout said as he refused to accept the bribe and insisted on the probe, he was thrown out of the Ministry. Blaming V Karthikeyan Pandian for gross maladministration, Rout said the State Government is functioning as per the advice of a non-Odia officer. “It is a matter of surprise to hear the Chief Minister’s clarification that sapling scam is baseless and there is no corruption even though the department’s Minister had already given the confessional statement about the corruption, the senior leader said.
Alleging that Mahanga legislature and Health Minister Pratap Jena is infusing inelegance in the rich and cultured soil of Mahanga, Rout said expired medicines are being sold in the State exposing his fairness. “Anjana rape case had brought down a government, but now several cases of rape are occurring daily in Odisha,” said Rout.
Meanwhile, the grass-root level workers who were present during Rout’s visit to a function of Arabinda Sikhya Purnaga Kendra under Paradip Assembly constituency on Tuesday expressed their solidarity with him and committed to extend their cooperation to strengthen his stronghold in Kujang under Paradip Assembly constituency.
Dama attends Congress meet
Bhubaneswar: Expelled BJD leader and Paradip MLA Damodar Rout attended the ‘Sambhidhan Bachao (Save Constitution)’ meeting at Congress Bhavan here on Tuesday fuelling speculations about his future course of action. Political observers maintained that Rout’s presence at the Congress Bhavan will not lead to any political developments in the near future as talks for giving a shape to the anti-BJD platform in the State is yet to start.
Besides, Congress has also not finalised its strategy for 2019 elections. Congress organised such meetings throughout the country to build a platform against the BJP-led Government. Senior CPM leader Janardan Pati, who attended the meeting, said it is part of the Congress strategy to build a platform against the Centre. Pati, however, said there will be no alliance of Congress-CPM with the Congress as such a course of action has not been endorsed by the party. The CPM leader said the party will join Congress in its campaign against BJP over its attempt to ‘change the constitution’ and communalism. Besides the former BJD minister and Pati, Ramakrushna Panda of CPI and Rabi Behera of Samajwadi Party attended the meeting.