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Giridhar Gopal in Bhubaneswar
Three former Orissa ministers, Prasanta Nanda, Kamala Dash and Nalinikanta Mohanty, who were on Monday chargesheeted by the state vigilance department on corruption charges refuted them on Tuesday.
"Truth would prevail ultimately and my innocence would be proved in the court of law," former rural development and higher education minister Prasanta Nanda told rediff.com.
"All allegations against me are false. I am not involved in any corruption and irregularities," Nanda said.
Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had sacked the three ministers from their posts on July 9 last year accusing them of 'involvement in corruption'.
While Mohanty was holding the portfolio of works, housing, and parliamentary affairs, Dash was holding the portfolio of health, family welfare and child development.
The vigilance department in their press release said Nalinikanta Mohanty permitted construction of an approach road in his constituency without administrative approval and agreement.
Prasanata Nanda is alleged to have entered into a criminal conspiracy and obtained pecuniary advantage for a construction company hiking the estimate of a work to 63 per cent. The company was awarded the construction work without the publication of any formal tender, the vigilance department said.
"My fault is that I inaugurated the approach road. The permission for the construction of approach road was given during the previous Congress government," he said.
Dash is accused of directing state officials to supply of one kg iron fortified salt to each beneficiary with an 'ulterior motive' to provide advantage to the supplier.
"The decision (to supply salt) was taken on the basis of the direction given by the chief minister's office," Dash claimed.
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