Cash distributed to journalists at Nitin Gadkari’s meeting!

Highlights

• Rs 500 currency note was found in media kit given to journalists at the meeting
• Three Union Ministers attended the meeting for ground breaking ceremony of road projects

Angul: Tension prevailed at the meeting place of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari in Angul district as the organisers offered cash to the journalists covering the event on Friday.

The journalists alleged that Rs 500 currency note was found in media kit given to them at the meeting. They waved the notes before others to protest against National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), which organised the event.

The incident took place just ahead of ground breaking ceremony at Dussehra ground for making three National Highways to four lanes. The media kits were provided to the journalists before Gadkari reached the venue. They found Rs 500 notes in their kits.

Notably, Union Road Transport and Highways and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari along with his colleagues Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram attended the ground breaking ceremony for making Angul-Sambalpur, Tileibani-Sambalpur and Balanga-Jharpokharia national highways into four lane roads.

Earlier, similar incident was reported at a meeting attended by BJD MP Pinaki Mishra in Puri in 2014 when the journalists were allegedly provided Rs 200 notes in media kits.