CBI probes imminent in Orissa mining scam: Congress

Congress today said a CBI inquiry into multi-crore mining scam in Orissa was "imminent" and its members staged a walkout from the state assembly when Steel and Mines Minister Raghunath Mohanty rejected the demand and advocated a vigilance probe into the charges.

Congress on Thursday said a CBI inquiry into multi-crore mining scam in Orissa was "imminent" and its members staged a walkout from the state assembly when Steel and Mines Minister Raghunath Mohanty rejected the demand and advocated a vigilance probe into the charges.

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"You cannot escape a CBI probe into such large scale irregularities amounting Rs one lakh crore. The Centre had already opened up its mind in this regard before the Orissa High Court through an affidavit," Congress Chief Whip Prasad Harichandan said while participating in a debate on the supplementary demand for funds relating to Steel and Mines department.

The Congress' reaction came in the face of the state government's repeated rejection of Opposition demand for a CBI probe into the mining scam.

"The CBI cannot probe into the mining irregularities unless the state wants it. We do not want a CBI probe as the state vigilance is doing a good job," Mohanty said, adding the state government had given free hand to vigilance sleuths to conduct impartial investigation.