5 MPs used 'tainted' company's plane: BJP

BHUBANESWAR: Five ruling BJD MPs had used the private plane of a 'tainted' mining company, the opposition BJP on Monday alleged and demanded clarification from the state government about it.
Raising the issue during zero hour in the assembly, BJP MLA Pradeep Purohit alleged that the five MPs travelled to Delhi from Bhubaneswar in an aircraft belonging to Triveni Earthmovers Private Limited, which the vigilance had earlier booked for illegal mining.The five MPs are Pinaki Mishra, Ramchandra Hansda, Siddhant Mohapatra, Ladu Kishore Swain and Hemendra Singh. The mining company's role in the violation of mining rules was being investigated by the state vigilance, he said, claiming that state had sustained a loss of about Rs 1,000 crore due to illegal activities of the tainted company. The opposition had all along been accusing the ruling BJD of having nexus with the company.
"I demand a statement from the state government on the matter and the state vigilance should also probe into the relationship between the five BJD MPs and the mining company," said Purohit. The MPs should also come under the purview of the vigilance probe for their alleged links with the company, he added. However, Swain denied the allegations and claimed that he was not aware that he had travelled in the plane of a private mining company to Delhi.