Chaos in assembly: Cong demands resignation of Education Minister
Bhubaneswar, Mar 12 : Opposition Congress today disrupted proceedings of the Odisha Assembly demanding resignation of Higher Education Minister Badrinarayan Patra over the leakage of question papers of plus two annual examination conducted by the Council of Higher Secodary Education (CHSE).
Raising the issue during zero hour, Mr Santosh Singh Saluja said the minister and his son were involved in the leakage of question papers and sought the resignation of the minister owning moral responsibility.
Mr Saluja said the future of around three lakh students was thrown into uncertainty as the question papers were being sold to private colleges at a premium.
The Congress legislator said the arrest of Deputy Secretary Debendra Behera proved the involvement of the minister and his son.
Mr Saluja alleged that Mr Behera was transferred to Sambalpur at the behest of the son of the Higher Education Minister and Rs 12 lakh was paid to the minister's son for the posting there.
Stating that a big racket was behind the question paper leak in the state, he said not only question papers of Physics and Chemistry but that of English and Botany were also leaked.
Accusing the minister of being 'corrupt', Mr Saluja said the opposition would not participate in the demand for discussion for the Higher Education Department scheduled for today.