A day after venting ire against the Centre for less rice allocation to the State, the ruling BJD on Monday again upped its ante against the NDA Government for the slashing of drought aid to the State and also the bdelay in disbursing the money.
The farmers’ wing of the party organised a dharna near the Raj Bhavan here to protest what they said injustice to the State.
“The State Government had submitted a memorandum seeking Central assistance of Rs 2,344.99 crore to tackle drought. But to utter disappointment of the people, the high-level committee has approved an assistance of only Rs 8l5 crore towards agriculture input subsidy. More so, the Centre has deducted Rs 214.48 crore and provided Rs 600.52 crore to the State. Though we have lodged our protest with the Centre against the deduction of Rs 214.48 crore, it is sitting idle,” rued farmers’ wing convenor and MlA Sushnat Singh.
Charging that the BIP-ruled States were provided with more funds (Rs l,276.25 crore to Chhattisgarh,
Rs 2,032.68 crore to Madhya Pradesh, Rs 1,193.41 crore to Rajasthan and Rs 3,049.36 acre to Maharashtra), party spokesperson Sashibhsaun Behera participating in the dharna said the assistance of Rs 600.52 acre against a requirement of Rs 2,345 crore (1/4th) is thoroughly insufficient.
“The people of the State have been disappointed due to the step-motherly attitude of the Central Government in granting drought assistance to the State,” he added.
Party MlA Bijay Mohanty too lambasted the Centre for not providing a single penny from the National Disaster Relief Fund to the State while the State is grappling with severe water crisis.
later, a 41-member delegation met Governor SC Jamir and submitted a memorandum to him to this effect addressed to the President.