Mass Demonstration and Dharana demanding enquiry of all Mega Scams either by CBI or Lokayukata

Appeal to join in Mass Demonstration and Dharana demanding   enquiry of all Mega Scams either by CBI or  Lokayukata

Immediate Constitution of Lokayukta  as per Odisha Lokayukta Act  is Need  of Hour

Venue- Lower PMG, Bhubaneswar,                                       Date- From 2^nd to 4^th August, 2017

Dear friends

We, the following signatories i.e., Social Activists and RTI Activists of the state spreheading campaign for transparency and accountability in administration and fighting out corruption in the state perpetuated by Nabin Patnaik Govt., do hereby appeal you to join in Mass Demonstration and Dharana demanding inquiry into all Scams by CBI or Lokayukta by constituting it immediately under Odisha Lokayukta Act.

As aware you are, during 17 years’ rule of Nabin Patnaik Govt., Odisha has witnessed Mega Scams causing revenue loss of thousands of crores of rupees to State Exchequer. Many of these Scams have been exposed through RTI. These Scams  with approximate Revenue loss are Mining Scam ( one lakh Crore rupees), Land Scam in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack ( Rs. 10,000 crores ), Dal Scam ( Rs. 700 crores), OKCL Scam ( Rs. 200 crore), Medhabruti Scam ( Rs. 50 crores) ,  Electricity Scam favouring Reliance Company ( Rs. 2400 crore) , State Cooperative Bank Scam ( Rs. 500 crore ), OMFED Scam  ( Rs. 8 crore ). Water Tax Scam ( Rs. 2000 crore), Quarter Scam ( Rs. 4 crore), NREGA Scam ( Rs. 1000 crore), Chhatua Scam ( Rs. 1000 crore)  Besides that there are   huge corruption and irregularities starting Gram Panchayat to office of Chief Minister in   the field of implementation  of  various  scheme and programme  like Integrated Child Development Scheme, Mid-Day-Meal, Public Distribution System, Indira Awas Yojana,  Biju Pucca Gruha Yojana,  Integrated Tribal Development Schemes,   World-Bank supported projects, Plantation programme etc.

 It deserves to be noted here that these Scams have been masterminded and engineered by the Ruling Class Ministers, MLAs, IAS officers, Companies, BJD workers and their protégé.  Though there has been public demand for inquiry against the perpetrators of corruption mostly IAS officers, the Chief Minister has tried his best to protect them.  For example, after expose of Dal Scam in 2010, Smt. Pramila Mallick, the then Minister for Women and Child Development resigned at the instruction of the Chief Minister.  The Vigilance enquiry reported involvement of 3 IAS officers Sri Pramod Meherda, Sri Manish Verma and Sri Ambika Prasad Das in 700 crore-Dal Scam.  But Sri Nabin Patnaik  did not give sanction to Vigilance  to arrest  them.  Similarly, from 2000 to 2012, the State Vigilance filed corrupt cases against 12 IAS officers and sought sanction from Chief Minister. But CM refused to give sanction and the Vigilance remained silence.  

Similarly, after land scam expose by CAG  about huge irregularities and illegalities  in respect of allotment of land/plot  to IAS officers, Ministers, MLAs, Private Educational Institutions, Hotels  by  GA Dept., BDA, CDA and OSHB, the State Govt. constituted Rask Force under chairmanship of Dr. Taradatt, senior IAS officer in 2014. The Committee produced the report In Nov. 2014 which was accepted by the Govt.  in cabinet meeting on 18.12.2014. The Task Force has recommended series of action against the people who have taken multiple plots by filling false affidavit and under discretionary quota.  Chief Minister has handed over this case to State Vigilance. Though around 3 years have passed, the Vigilance has not arrested a single man nor returned back   a single plot to Govt. fold.  Similarly, the Crime Branch enquiry into 70 acres- Ghangapatna Land Scam has ended in fiasco without taking any action against BJD and BJP leaders.  Within period of last 15 years, 27 companies have not paid water tax to State Govt. Water Resource Dept. under Chief Minister is sitting idle.

A number of  former IAS officers  and present IAS  and IPS officers  who  enjoyed close proximity with Chief Minister and self-claimed blue-eyed boy of the Govt.  and involved  in these scams are Sri Tarun Kanti Mishra, former Chief Secretary ( four plots  from BDA, CDA and GA), Sri Bijay Shama, D.G., Crime Branch ( 3 plots from BDA, CDA and GA), Sri Upendra Nath Behera ( 2 plots  from GA, CDA), Sri Gagan Bihari Dhal ( 50 crore Medhabruti scam), Sri Bishnu Prasad Sethy ( OMFED Scam), Sri Pramod Meherda ( 700 crore Dal Scam), Sri Vishal Dev ( Multi-crore Land Scam), Hemant Sharma ( Coal Scam and OPTCL Scam), Sri Bijay Patnaik, former Chief Secretary  ( 200 crore-OKCL Scam), Sri Manish Verma ( Dal Scam) . Besides that Chief Minister and his Ministers have protected many scamsters like Sri Achyut Samant, founder of KIIT/KISS  who have illegally acquired 100 acres of precious land in Chandaka industrial area and Patia area through fraudulent means in connivance with corrupt bureaucrats.  

In case of OMFED the cabinet Minister concerned  Sri Pradip Maharathy has written orders at the behest of IAS officials to release scam money and punish those officials who have raised questions against the scam. Two senior officials and AG have clearly pointed about the scam in their reports but the Minister dared to exonerate all. In case of OSCB JagneswarBabu was sent to jail, but the concerned MD TK panda of OSCB got two term extension with huge perks and benefits and the concerned secretary Bishnupada Sethty got lucrative positions to head two departments .

Though Justice Shah Commission recommended for CBI inquiry into Mining Scam, Both BJD Govt. and BJP Govt. at centre are hand in glove to stop the CBI inquiry.  The people of Odisha are ditched by both these parties and left hopeless world. BJP leaders are maintaining ominous silence over all these scams like Mining Scam. Land Scam etc.

Directorate of Vigilance has been formed to investigate into all corruption ad irregularities in administration and Govt. work.  But at the instance of Chief Minister, the Vigilance could not proceed to investigate into these scams.  The Vigilance has been instructed to cover up these scams. When the activity of the Vigilance was monitored through RTI, Chief Ministers took over night decision to keep Vigilance out of purview of RTI Act.

When the Chief Minister has been trying to cover up all the Mega Scams and protecting perpetrators of Crime, at the same time he is giving clarion call to stop PC (corruption in development work) and instructed the administration to form Vigilance Committee at district and block level to check it. We  feel  that it is  calculated  design of Nabin Patnaik  and his coterie to divert the attention of the people from real issues i.e., Mega Scams   which has destroyed economic backbone of the country  reducing poor to poorest of the world.

So keeping in view the deplorable situation of the state,   we are organising this  3-day Dharana and Demonstration demanding   enquiry into these scams  and immediate constitution of Lokayukta  in Odisha.

With regards

Appeal  by

Sudhir Mohanty, Advocate                                                         Ashok Nanda

Secretary, Odisha Durniti Sanghrash Manch                        Convener, Lok Samukhya

M-9861063290                                                                                   M- 9437005133

Ashok Mallick                                                                                   Biswajit Mohanty

State President, NACDOR                                                            RTI Activist

Khirod Rout                                                                                        Debesh Dash

Advocate, Odisha High Court                                                     Odisha Lokayukta Abhijan   

Sanjukta Panigrahi                                                                          Pratap Sahu

Woman Activist                                                                               Convener

                                                                                                                Odisha Basti Sangharsh Samiti

Abdil Wali                                                                                          Jia Uddin,Kondhamal

Social Activist                                                                                    Social Activist

Prof. Jantrana Parikhit                                                                   Sachikant Pradhan

Member, ONAS                                                                                Bhubaneswar basti Unnayan Parishad  

Priyabrata Gadnaik                                                                         Debashis Hota

RTI Activist, Dhenkanal                                                                 Human Rights Activist

M-9437091020                                                                                   M- 9938893415

Srikant Pakal                                                                                      Kahnu Ch. Beura

RTI Activist, Cuttack                                                                        Samaj Andolan.Bhubaneswar

Sudarshan Chhotaray                                                                     Pradip Pradhan

Odisha Ganatantrika Samukhya                                                RTI Activist

Prakash Samantsinghar                                                                 Ranjan Kumar Das

RTI Activist                                                                                         RTI Activist, Kendrapara

Pratap Mohanty                                                                               Sanjay Sahu

RTI Activist, Kendrapara                                                               Social Activist