Bhubaneswar, Aug. 16: Senior Congress leader and former Union minister Srikant Jena today raked up the issue of illegal mining pointing fingers at his own party.

"Mine looters are there in all political parties, and our party is no exception. All the mining leases should be cancelled and the state government should take over the mines," he said.

Jena did not name people from his party engaged in the mining business.

"We, as a political class, have failed to check illegal mining. Because of the mine looters, the Congress is unable to grow in the state. Let there be a CBI inquiry into the entire mining scam which is considered the mega scam of the 21st century. The BJP, the BJD and others are hand in glove with each other and the state's exchequer has been badly hit," he said.

Expressing concern over the state government's decision to collect fines from the mine owners to the tune of Rs 17,576 crore, according to the recommendation of the Central Empowered Committee, Jena said: "The Supreme Court's judgment has been misinterpreted. Nowhere has the court said that the fine amount should be Rs 17,576 crore. The state government, itself, had issued notices for collection of fine to the tune of Rs 59,000 crore. But, the illegal mining was done, causing loss to exchequer of Rs 2 lakh crore."

Coming down heavily on both the BJP and the BJD, Jena said: "Both are talking of zero tolerance towards corruption. Why is a CBI inquiry not ordered into the mining scam? It was during the UPA government that Justice M.B. Shah Commission was instituted. As the UPA government's tenure was about to end, it did not find time to order a CBI inquiry. As there is a huge difference in the fine estimates of the state government, there is suspicion about the state's intentions. A CBI inquiry can expose all these things."

He said: "The Union government can take over the case on its own and order a CBI inquiry. I wonder what has stopped it from ordering the inquiry. It's the state, which is going to lose a huge amount of money because of the misinterpretation of the Supreme Court judgment. I will get in touch with the petitioner on the issue soon."

The Union minister said: "The properties of illegal mine owners should be attached and they should be arrested immediately."

Jena also raised the issue why the state government was silent over cores worth of chromite being looted in the state.

"The state government is silent over the issue," he said.