Koda: Inscrutable!

Ranchi, Sept. 8: Few people thought that Putkar Hembrom’s call attention motion on the Hatgamharia-Baraiburu road would have the potential to put the Arjun Munda government in the dock.

The call attention motion on August 25 led the outgoing parliamentary affairs minister, Madhu Koda, to allege that a contractor had been threatening him. “I had not at all realised the politics behind the road,” Putkar said today and disclosed, “I had discussed the matter with Koda before I moved the call attention motion.”

Incidentally, Putkar, the BJP legislator from Chaibasa, was a teacher in Tata College where Koda, who is being tipped as the next chief minister, was a student.

At that time, Putkar said, he had no inkling of what was in Koda’s mind. “I had no idea of his intentions,” Putkar said. He further said: “The day after I raised the matter on the floor of the House, Koda phoned me and thanked.”

Putkar told The Telegraph that his relationship with Koda was cordial.

He recalled that when Koda rose to intervene in the matter during road construction minister Sudesh Mahto’s reply, the whole House backed him. The support had come from both the treasury and Opposition benches.

“I am not concerned about who got the road contract,” Putkar said and added that he did not know Shambu Singh, the contractor who is alleged to have threatened Koda. “I was only interested in the road, as 8 km of it runs through my segment,” he said.

“I was satisfied with the reply given by chief minister Arjun Munda in the Assembly. Munda had talked of getting the job done by a big company. It was only after that the matter snowballed into a controversy,” Putkar said.

Putkar, who had always held his student in high esteem, now says: “I am not happy with what he did and the manner he revolted against the government.”

The call attention motion was in the name of Putkar, Chandresh Oraon and Samir Oraon (all from BJP). He has now once again teamed up with Chandresh Oraon to file a petition with the Speaker against Stephen Marandi under the defection laws.