BHUBANESWAR: Trouble could mount for BJD MLA from Remuna, Sudhanshu Sekhar Parida as the acting speaker of the state Assembly Rajanikant Singh has submitted his views to the Lokayukta of Odisha that is hearing a petition on alleged embezzlement of farm machinery subsidy money.
Singh said the views on the MLA have been submitted and he can not disclose it as the matter is under the purview of the Lokayukta. The acting speaker, however, has not been clear and his views are cryptic, the Lokayukta has observed. But, based on the submission of the acting speaker, the Lokayukta has allowed one month more time for Parida and his associates for filing their respective explanations.
According to the petition, Nigamananda Associates, a firm owned by the MLA, had allegedly swindled subsidy money of around Rs 9 crore released by the state government against procurement of farm equipment by scheduled caste and scheduled tribe beneficiaries between 2017 and 2020.
Though Parida has been denying his involvement with a plea that he had left the firm in 2015, the Lokayukta had sought the speaker’s views on the basis of a preliminary inquiry report of the state vigilance directorate.
As per the findings of the vigilance inquiry, notices were served to the MLA and his partners along with 15 other agents/associates of the firm. They were asked to submit their explanation by June 9. Though no one appeared on behalf of the MLA, his brother and ex-partner and active partner, they had filed a time petition for filing their explanation against the report.
“Cryptic views in the matter from the acting speaker of Odisha legislative Assembly have been received. The communication is taken on record. Although no good reason is shown in the respective time petitions, we still in all fairness, allow one-month further time to each one of them for filing their respective explanations,” the Lokayukta stated in its June 9 order besides posting the matter for the next hearing and further orders on July 14. Parida did not respond to the calls from The New Indian Express.