Union Minister Prakash Jaiswal meets Orissa CM, Congress MLAs

Bhubaneswar: The  Union Minister of State for Coal  Prakash  Jaiswal, who is on a visit to Orissa, meet  with the Chief Minister Naveen Patanik in the Bidhan Saudha and also Opposition Congress members in the  Dharana place in the premises of the State Assembly on Wednesday .

While interacting with the reporters he not only expressed concern over the alleged linkage coal scam, but also termed it as the most unfortunate. He said there should be an impartial investigation into the matter.

He informed that Central Government is providing coals to the State to sell to the micro, small and medium industries at subsidized prices.  There is nothing to do by the Union Government.  He also informed that the Union Government can not press for CBI probe without the consent of the state government or direction of the Court.
 
Replying   some of the questions of the mediapersons , he said that the coal scam issue is basically a State issue. “State Government bears the prime responsibility for investigation into the scam. The Government should do appropriate investigation and take stringent action against the culprits, whoever they may be,” he maintained.
 
 Responding to another question, he said if State Government recommends a proposal to the Union Government for CBI enquiry into the Matter, the latter would certainly accept it. He maintained that whoever may investigate into the scam, the culprits should be punished.
 
Jaiswal was seen to sit on the Dharana place with the Opposition members for a long time near the statue of Mahatma Gandhi. When asked as the Opposition members are staging Dharna demanding ouster of two tainted Ministers and how could you, being a Central Minister sit with them, he said,” First, I am a congress activist, then a Minister,”. He also said the supreme of the party has already given freedom to the Opposition to make linkage coal scam an issue in the State