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Journalism of Courage
Chit fund probe widens
The probe into Orissas multi-crore-rupee chit fund scandal has had Bhubaneswar police questioning 22 people so far,including two newspaper and TV channel owners,Orissa Cricket Association secretary Ashirbad Behera and dozens of builders. This was after Pradip Sethi,chief of Artha Tatwa Multi-State Cooperative Society,had reportedly revealed his financial links with them. Sethi,in jail since May 13 on charges of misappropriating crores from investors,is said to have named several BJD ministers,MLAs and officials as involved. The government has ordered a probe into the functioning of 15 multi-state cooperative organisations,including Artha Tatwa that ran money circulation schemes.
What Naveen didnt get
The Planning Commission has turned down Orissas demand for special category status. A snubbed Naveen Patnaik,who met Planning Commission deputy chief Montek Singh Ahluwalia and won praise for growth rather than the status he was seeking,has not given up. The chief minister has asked leaders of his party,the BJD,to organise a rally in New Delhi on June 12. The Swabhimaan Rally to be held at Ram Lila maidan is being seen as Naveens attempt to stamp his presence on national politics. BJD leaders said more than 30,000 people would be mobilised for the rally,which would see the culmination of the partys one-crore-signature campaign launched on April 28 demanding special category status.
What he did get
The Planning Commission has praised the state for its growth despite the global economic slowdown. During the meeting with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik,plan panel deputy chief Montek Singh Ahluwalia said Orissas economy has grown at a real annual average rate of 7.13 per cent at 2004-05 prices during the 11th plan period,against the target of 9 per cent. Ahluwalia,who approved Orissas annual plan for 2013-14 at Rs 21,500 crore,24.63 per cent higher than the previous fiscals,said human development indicators have improved across all regions. Infant mortality is down from 73 per thousand in 2006 to 57 in 2011,and maternal mortality from 303 per thousand during 2004-06 to 258 during 2007-09.
Pyari flirts with BJP
His Orissa Jana Morcha is yet to take off,but former BJD strongman Pyari Mohan Mohapatra is already scouting for electoral partners. Among the potential partners he is looking at is one that he had once described as communal. Mohapatra recently said he has been talking to the central leadership of the BJP for a possible tie-up. The announcement was followed by senior BJP leader Chandan Mitra,the partys in-charge for Orissa,attending the fifth anniversary function of an Oriya daily owned by Mohapatra. Though Mitra said no decision on an alliance has been taken by the partys central leadership,he added that anything can happen in the future.
