Oppn corners govt on OMC’s Rs 650 crore

BHUBANESWAR : Opposition BJP and Congress on Thursday cornered the State Government over parking of Jagannath Temple funds in the Yes Bank, alleging that money from several Government departments both at the State and district levels including Rs650 crore from the Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) was also deposited in the bank flouting all rules.

The issue cropped up during the discussion in the Assembly on admissibility of an adjournment motion brought by the Opposition members with several of them alleging that a huge scam is involved in the parking of Government and temple funds in the crisis ridden bank. Making a statement in response, Finance Minister Niranjan Pujari, however, said the issue has already been brought to the notice of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Union Finance Secretary. “The Chief Secretary had written to the RBI Governor and the letter of the Finance Minister has also been referred to him,” the Minister said. 

The Minister said quotations were invited from 12 banks for deposit of temple funds on March 12, 2019. 
The funds were deposited in the Yes Bank as it agreed to highest interest rate of 8.61 per cent per annum, the Minister said and added that the temple managing committee has requested Regional Director of the RBI to transfer the deposited amount of Rs545 crore to a nationalised bank. Pujari, however, maintained that the temple managing committee manages the temple fund without interference from the Government.

Earlier, leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Narasingh Mishra demanded that a House committee should be constituted to probe into the entire matter as funds amounting to about Rs3,000 crore from Government departments and the Jagannath temple were parked in the bank. ishra criticised the Finance Minister for talking only about the temple fund but remaining silent on the foundation fund which is managed by a committee headed by the Chief Minister with Law Minister and other stake holders as the members. While the earning from the movable and immovable property goes to the temple fund, donations above Rs500 go to the foundation fund.

The CLP leader demanded that the Minister should clarify how much of the Rs545 crore deposited in the Yes Bank is from the foundation fund and temple fund. The Chief Minister should clarify the issue in the House and take responsibility, he said. Mohan Majhi of the BJP wanted to know what was the Sri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) doing when the Tirupati Devasthanam trust could withdraw Rs1,300 crore from the Yes Bank. He demanded that the Odisha Government should write to the Centre agreeing for a CBI probe into the entire matter.

Alleging that Rs650 crore from the OMC and a huge amount from the district offices across the State have been deposited in the Yes Bank, deputy leader of the BJP Legislature Party Bisnu Charan Sethi demanded that the Finance Minister should place a detailed account in the House. The matter should be brought under the purview of the House committee probe, he said.His party colleague Jayant Sarangi (BJP) also demanded a House committee probe into the matter.