As reported by Kalinga Times Correspondent in kalingatimes.com on 26 April 2008:
KalingaTimes.com: Orissa Transport Minister in false affidavit row
Orissa Transport Minister in false affidavit row
Sambalpur (Orissa), April 26: Yet another Orissa minister has been found to have filed false affidavit adding to the woes of the ruling Biju Janata Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party coalition.
State Transport and Commerce Minister Jayanarayan Mishra, who belongs to the BJP, has been found guilty of providing false information about his educational qualification while filing nomination in the 2004 Assembly polls.
Information gathered under Right to Information (
RTI) Act has revealed that contrary to the information filed in an affidavit, Mishra has not passed his Bachelors Degree.
Allegations over the issue was first made by Sambalpur Bikash Manch (SBM) and to substantiate its allegation it sought information under
RTI.
Although information obtained under
RTI has proved the allegation correct, the Minister remains unfazed and said that he would prove his point in the right forum.
In the affidavit Mishra had declared that he had passed his graduation examination from Burla NAC College under Sambalpur University in 1984.
But information provided by the
PIO cum Principal of Burla NAC College on application under
RTI by Convenor of SBM Debasis Purohit has said the minister completed his Intermediate in Arts (IA) during the period 1981-83.
It has further said that although Mishra pursued his Bachelors Degree (BA) in the year 1984 to 1986 with History and Political Science it was unaware about the Minister completing his Degree.
However, the college has also said that it was not in a position to provide any information about passing of BA by Mishra as records relating to the same is no more available in the college.
However, in his affidavit submitted with the nomination papers, Mishra has informed that he has passed completed his graduation from Burla NAC College in 1984. But the question remains is how could he complete his graduation a year after passing IA as it requires two years of attending college before being allowed to appear for the BA examination.
Meanwhile, the issue has provided fodder for the State Youth Congress President Rohit Pujari, an aspirant for Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat.
In a statement to the media, Pujari has demanded resignation of Mishra and urged the Election Commission to initiate action against the Minister.
A similar incident had occurred earlier when Minister of State for Labour Pradipta Kumar Naik had quit his post allegedly filing an affidavit giving wrong information. A case was also registered against him in this connection. Naik, however, had later come out clean.