BHUBANESWAR: The Assembly witnessed noisy scenes on Monday with the Congress members demanding a CBI probe into the sapling scam, forcing Speaker Pradip Kumar Amat to adjourn the House thrice during the pre-lunch session.The question hour could not be held as Congress members rushed to the well shouting slogans over the sapling scam as soon the House started for the day.Normalcy returned to the Assembly after Speaker Pradip Kumar Amat asked Agriculture Minister Pradip Kumar Maharathy to make a statement on the alleged sapling plantation irregularities before the end of this session.
The Minister also gave details of the sapling scam on the Speaker’s direction.Soon after the obituary reference to former minister Dolagobinda Pradhan, who passed away earlier in the day, opposition chief whip Taraprasad Bahinipati of Congress along with other party members trooped into the well and raised slogans.The Congress members wanted a statement from the government on what action has been taken against the officers involved in the scam. As the House could not be run smoothly, the Speaker adjourned the proceedings thrice till 12.30 pm.
When the House reassembled, Leader of the Opposition Narasingh Mishra said the Agriculture Minister has admitted while replying to a question in the House on September 4 that there have been irregularities of `17.33 crore in sapling plantation activities. However, no action has been taken so far.
“When government admits irregularities and is not taking any action against the officials, it shows that the government is involved in the scam. I demand the Chief Minister to respond. The Government cannot keep quiet. You ask the Chief Minister to make a statement and why officers involved in the incident were not prosecuted as per law,” he said.
Stating that the government has ‘admitted’ irregularities in floor of the House, leader of BJP legislature party KV Singhdeo alleged that the government is protecting the officers. Singhdeo alleged the then minister (Damodar Rout), who raised the issue, was removed from the ministry and the officers involved in the scam were reinstated in service.