Bhubaneswar: Both the opposition parties in the state, the BJP and Congress today came down heavily upon the ruling BJD as the party celebrated its 21st Foundation Day.
Reacting to CM Naveen Patnaik’s allegation that the Centre has curtailed the stipend for SC/ST students, Union Minister Jual Oram claimed it baseless during BJP’s state-wide ‘Jabab Maguchi Odisha’ campaign which started at the Baramunda Ground here.
“The CM has today complained that the Indian Railway is earning Rs 20,000 cr and providing Odisha merely Rs 2,000 cr. I would say that this is due to the State Government’s inability to spend the fund. Moreover, the Odisha Government is yet to identify and allocate land for Gopalpur-Digha Coastal Highway Project and still questions its implementation. As far as SC/ST stipend is concerned, the Central Government has not curtailed it, rather the State Government has created all hindrances for its disbursement,” said Jual.
Addressing the crowd, senior BJP leader K V Singhdeo said took a pot-shot at Naveen by saying that, it is a matter of deep sorrow that the Odisha Government is failing to complete a number of projects, despite getting all assistance from the Centre.
“The Rs 51,000 cr fund which has been planned to be spent in all the panchayats of Odisha under ‘PEETHA’ program of Odisha Government is a ‘wasteful expenditure’. It had been better if this money would have been spent to create employment for youths,” he added.
Earlier in the day, OPCC President Niranjan Patnaik also criticised Naveen by alleging that, in the name of ‘PEETHA’ and ‘Ama Gaon Ama Bikas’ programmes the Odisha Government is taking away the rights of panchayats. “Naveen Babu is talking of development in the state during BJD rule but let me inform that 85 lakh youths in the state are still unemployed, debt burden has gone up from Rs 18,000 cr in 2000 to Rs 93,000 crore currently. That apart, the farmers suicide is increasing in the state and 65 per cent of people are still living below the poverty line,” said the OPCC President.
Ms Kalinga