Now, BJP targets Minister Surya Narayan Patro on assets issue

After gunning for the head of Law Minister Bikram Keshari Arukha over false affidavit to avail of two BDA houses, the BJP on Friday demanded expulsion of Revenue Minister Surjya Narayan Patro for giving false disclosure as well as undervaluation statement of his and his family members’ properties in the public domain.

BJP State vice-president and spokesperson Asok Sahu alleged at a news conference that Patro, one of the longest-serving Ministers, has concealed his real immovable and movable assets. His entire assets should be probed by the Central Enforcement Directorate, Sahu demanded and urged Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to show his morality for the sake of transparency and public probity in this matter.

Since almost all Ministers, being public representatives, have undervalued their property statements and also hidden facts, stern and exemplary action must be taken against them, he said. ahu alleged that Patro has shown his entire property worth only `2,43,80,000 whereas his immovable properties alone at Beerhampur, Digapahandi, Chhatrapur and Bhubaneswar would exceed `50 crore. This apart, there are properties not disclosed but owned by his son and wife in and outside Odisha. Besides, Patro has not given the facts on his buildings at Visakhapatnam, Bangalore and Hyderabad, he said.

Sahu further alleged that Patro owna a plot of land with a massive building in Plot-No.N-2/196 measuring 10,920 sqft at Nayapalli, Bhubaneswar. Such a huge Government plot is never given to a single individual. Still, the Minister manipulated the administrative rules to get it through one lot in his favour. He has shown the value of the property as worth merely `55 lakh, which is an understatement and amounts to perjury on oath. Its current market value would be not less than `5.5 crore, Sahu said.

He also said that besides the residential plot, Patro has managed to allot another plot measuring 43,000 sqft in favour of his son Biplab Patro through the General Administration Department near the DAV School, Bhubaneswar. Now, the value of the plot would be around `40 crore, and this was neither mentioned in his affidavit during the 2009 election nor in the recent property statement of the Ministers available in the Government portal. Sahu wanted to know from Patro the source of income of his son to acquire the huge property when he was a fresh MBA. The plot in question is jointly owned by Patro and his son, and this is in gross violation of all rules regarding exercise of discretion power under the provisions of the Odisha Development Authorities Act, 1983.

He also said that during his stint as Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Minister in late Biju Patnaik’s Ministry,Patro had allegedly acquired around 40 acres of land in the Krushnaprasad area bordering Ganjam district for prawn culture, which has no mention in his property statement.

Sahu warned that if the Chief Minister does not take appropriate action against Patro, the BJP would seek legal recourse. Source: The Pioneer