BJP membership campaign chief and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday alleged that both the Congress and the BJD are responsible for the backwardness of Odisha.
“The BJD is more responsible than the Congress for backwardness, poverty and unemployment in Odisha. There has been no development in the State during the last 20 years of the BJD Government,” alleged Chouhan at a Press conference here.
He wanted to know why irrigation facility has beencreated for only 31 per cent of agriculture land and the farmers’ income has not increased during the last 20 years in the State.
He alleged that the State Government has failed to distribute money under the KALIA scheme and deprived farmers of Central assistance under the Prime Minister Kissan Samman Nidhi Yojana.
“Farmers have been deprived of assistance of Rs 6,000 under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana as the State Government has failed to provide their list. If the State Government has really provided money under the KALIA scheme to farmers, why the list of the beneficiaries has not been made public yet,” wanted to know Chouhan.
He alleged that many farmers have committed suicide during the Naveen Patnaik Government.
Chouhan further alleged that poor people of the State have been deprived of getting free health services under the Ayushman Bharat Yojna as the State Government has not implemented it.
The BJP national vice-president said the Congress has not learnt any lesson from its defeats in the last Lok Sabha elections and it still practices dynastic politics and makes Sonia Gandhi as its head.
He claimed that the BJP has been working relentlessly on its mottos of ‘Sabka Sath Sabaka Bikash’ (inclusive growth) and ‘Sabaka Biswas’ (taking all into confidence).
Speaking on the issue of annulment of Article 370, Chouhan said, “Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had committed a historic blunder in imposing Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. Now, the Narendra Modi-led BJP Government has rectified by annulling the Article and thereby giving freedom to its people.”
Responding to his allegations against the State Government, BJD MLA Shashi Bhusan Behera said several economists have praised Odisha Government’s KALIA scheme.
While people have elected Naveen Patnaik as Chief Minister for the consecutive fifth time, criticisinghis Government is an insultto the people’s mandate, he said.
Behera claimed that the BJD, though a regional party, has a national outlook and is acting accordingly.
To Chouhan’s remarks on the Congress, party MLA Suresh Kumar Routray said the Congress would be strengthened under the guidance of Sonia Gandhi. He said the BJP has been panicked after Sonia Gandhi becoming interim president of the Congress.