Odisha needs a ”double-engine” Government to accelerate the pace of its development, said Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha, here on Sunday.
Stressing the need for a double-engine Government, Sinha said the people of Odisha would get the full benefit of the Central Government’s schemes only with BJP Governments at the Centre as well as in the State.
“The pace of development is higher when the Centre and the State have Governments led by the same political party. Several development projects have been affected in Odisha due to the lack of support from the State Government,” Sinha said.
Stating that the BJP Government believed in and practiced cooperative federalism, he said the problem was the party in power in Odisha did not believe in cooperative federalism.
“We have launched many projects in Odisha and want the State to develop. But if we don’t get support from the State Government and the BJD, how are we going to call it cooperative federalism,” he said.
Sinha said that Rs 1.36 lakh crore central projects were stalled in Odisha due to the State government’s non-cooperation. Several schemes were facing obstacles due to land acquisition and forest clearance, he added.
In reaction, BJD spokesperson Dr Sasmit Patra said it is not good for the country’s federal structure that there should be only one party’s Government at the Centre and the States for the sake of development.