Opposition alleges irregularities in allotment of Malkangiri stone quarries

Opposition Congress Tuesday accused Malkangiri district magistrate of showing undue favour to a Andhra Pradesh-based businessman by allotting seven stone quarries, a charge denied by the government.The District Magistrate-cum-Collector Yedulla Vijay in a digital press meet rejected allegations made by Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee OPCC vice-president and former MP Pradeep Majhi. There are no irregularities in the tender of the stone quarries.

Opposition Congress Tuesday accused Malkangiri district magistrate of showing undue favour to a Andhra Pradesh-based businessman by allotting seven stone quarries, a charge denied by the government.

The District Magistrate-cum-Collector Yedulla Vijay in a digital press meet rejected allegations made by Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) vice-president and former MP Pradeep Majhi. There are no irregularities in the tender of the stone quarries. Everything has been done as per the law''.

He also denied allegations that kickbacks were paid for allotment of stone quarries.

Earlier, Majhi at a press meet held at the District Congress Office here alleged that bribes changed hands. The Congress leader claimed that his allegations were based on certain RTI documents.

Majhi alleged irregularities in the tender process of the Minor Mineral and ''Sairat'' held in March this year.

He pointed out that as per the prescribed norms of the state government, a tehsildar is the competent authority to invite tenders for minor minerals including stone quarries, the Congress leader said raising question as to why and how the tender was floated by the district collector.

Information collected through an RTI made it ''obvious'' that the tender boxes were taken to the residence of the collector, who kept these sealed boxes for three days, opened it and manipulated the tender papers in favour of the particular businessman, Majhi alleged.

The Congress leader demanded an impartial inquiry into the ''illegal'' tender process of the Minor Mineral Sources in the district.

The Opposition Congress also demanded immediate quashing of the ''illegal'' tender process and warned that the party would launch a massive campaign in this regard and ''bring the entire district to a standstill'' for an indefinite period after July 4.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)