BHUBANESWAR: Pushed to a corner by the relentless attack of the Opposition BJD over the MMDR Amendment Act, the BJP has, in the latest CAG report, found ammunition to launch a counter-offensive against the former.
Seizing on the audit findings of widespread misutilisation of District Mineral Foundation (DMF) funds, the party on Wednesday accused the previous BJD government of serious irregularities in mining-affected areas and challenged the Naveen Patnaik-led outfit to an open debate on the report and the recent amendments to the MMDR Act.
Addressing a media-conference here on Wednesday, BJP spokesperson Anil Biswal alleged that the latest CAG performance audit had exposed large-scale diversion and irregular utilisation of DMF funds during the previous government. Biswal claimed that the audit had flagged irregularities involving about Rs 983 crore in Keonjhar and Sundargarh, Rs 119 crore in interest that was allegedly not credited to DMF funds and Rs 507 crore spent in Jajpur on activities which the CAG described as unrelated to the intended objectives of DMF.
He further alleged that Rs 25 crore was spent in Sundargarh on works including a reading room at the collector’s residence and expansion of a municipal office, while Rs 51 crore was spent on parks in Jajpur and Keonjhar. He also cited alleged irregularities in COVID-related hospital payments, mobile healthcare services, beekeeping and procurement of hospital materials.
“Taken together, the CAG report brings to light irregularities of nearly Rs 2,880 crore of DMF funds,” Biswal said. The BJP leader also targeted the BJD over electoral bond donations claiming that the regional party had received Rs 775 crore through political donations of which Rs 682 crore or around 88 per cent was from mining companies. “The figures relating to Rs 775.5 crore in electoral bonds received by the BJD between July 2019 and November 2023 have been based on Election Commission data,” he said.
Biswal questioned the BJD’s opposition to the MMDR amendments and alleged that the Opposition parties had disrupted Assembly proceedings when the government was ready for a discussion. Calling for an open debate on both the MMDR Act amendments and the CAG report, he asked the BJD to explain the alleged diversion of funds meant for mining-affected communities.
