By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, April 7, 2016 : The opposition Congress and BJP on Thursday sought the sacking of Odisha food supplies and consumer welfare minister Sanjay Das Burma after he was issued notice by the CBI to appear before it in connection with the allegation that he had received a Pajero car as a gift from chit fund firm Artha Tatwa Group (AT Group).

“The food supplies and consumer welfare minister should immediately resign on moral ground or else the chief minister Naveen Patnaik should ask him to resign since the CBI issued a notice to him. It is now established beyond any doubt that the minister has received the Pajero vehicle from AT Group chief Pradeep Sethy to protect him,” state BJP general secretary Prithviraj Harichandan said.

The ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD), however, defended the minister Mr Das Burma saying serving of a notice by the CBI did prove that he was guilty.

“The notice served to the minister on Monday by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) seeking details of the car appears to be politically motivated. The CBI is now targeting the ruling BJD leaders under pressure from the opposition Congress and BJP leaders,” said BJD spokesperson Pratap Keshari Dev.

The chit fund scam refers to the ponzi firms collecting about Rs 4,600 crore by nearly 10 lakh people in the state. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is inquiring into the fraud involving 44 chit fund firms following directions of

the Supreme Court.

The firms being probed include Artha Tatwa Group which allegedly gifted the car to Das Burma.

Samir Mohanty, another BJP leader, said the chief minister Naveen Patnaik, who has always maintained that law would take its own course in the matter, should prove his integrity by sacking the minister.

The Congress attacked the scam-tainted minister for having alleged links with chit fund companies and benefiting from them.
Congress leader and former Lok Sabha member Pradeep Majhi demanded Das Burma’s resignation on moral grounds.

Another Congress leader Lalatendu Bidyadhar Mohapatra said his allegation that the minister had received Pajero vehicle from chit fund czar Pradip Sethy now stood vindicated.

“The moment I received the information about a minister’s involvement, I informed the media about it. The recent string of events only proves that whatever I said was correct,” the Congress leader said.