Odisha chief minister, Naveen Patnaik was described as the chief conspirator in the Talabria II allocation. This statement was made by Prasad Harichandan, the state Congress President in Bhubaneshwar. During a news conference, Prasad demanded for an interrogation on the role played by the CM in the allocation of Talabria II to Hindalco. He alleged that even when the center was not too keen on the allotment of the coal block to Hindalco (Aditya Birla group), the CM made the recommendation on August 17, 2005. The vested interest in this matter has to be investigated. Only a proper and impartial investigation can bring out the truth behind the allocation.

Prasad also said that the special CBI court judge made an observation regarding the letter of recommendation, which Naveen had written to the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, saying that it brought a fresh lease of life to the firm. There was also an allegation that the governing party received Rs. 6.7 crores from Hindalco chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla. In these circumstances, Prasad added, that if no interrogation is made in this matter, everybody might doubt the credibility of the CBI and its impartiality. Meanwhile, BJD spokesperson Sameer Dash urged the Congress to refrain from making any more comments to the media regarding this matter.

By Premji