launching a veiled attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who targeted the BJD Government during the Vikash Utsav rally in Baleswar on June 2, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday said his Government believes in work, not propaganda.
“My Government has always been accountable to people of Odisha. We believe in work, not in publicity,” said Patnaik while briefing mediapersons about the achievements of his Government’s various departments.
Maintaining that Odisha is the only State in the country to adopt the ruling party’s manifesto as the agenda for governance on the day the BJD Government assumed office, Patnaik said, “We are definitely moving towards achieving our promises.”
Notably, PM Modi while addressing the Baleswar gathering had described the BJD Government as “Soi hui sarkar” (Government in deep slumber).
The CM also attacked the Central Government for change in the fund sharing pattern and for increasing cesses and surcharges.
“Most of the Central Government schemes which used to be in the 90:10 sharing pattern have been changed to 60:40 or 50:50. This change in fund sharing will benefit developed States and deprive the not-so-developed eastern States, including Odisha,” said Patnaik.
Stating that the rising trends of cesses and surcharges further deprive the State of its due share in Central taxes, Patnaik said, “The Service Tax which was 12.36% in 2014 has now effectively become 15% (inclusive of surcharges and cesses). This will further increase prices, putting a heavy burden on the common man,” said Patnaik.
“We are definitely moving towards achieving our promises. I am happy to note that most of the departments have done exceedingly well; in some areas we have to improve,” he added.
He said his Government has created a national record in providing shelter security to more than a million households exuding confidence that they would cross the 2.3-million target.
He also said commissioning of mega lifts and other efforts have led to the creation of 3 lakh hectare of additional irrigation.
“We have substantially increased our investment in irrigation and are moving towards the target of one million hectares of capacity addition. We have also made the effective rate of interest to 1% for crop loans to benefit small and medium farmers,” he said.
He said electrification of 11.5 lakh households including 3 lakh BPl families have been made while the construction of 500 new sub stations is in full swing.
“In a record time, we could set up 100 Odisha Adarsh Vidalays and its heartening to note that more than 30,000 children from rural areas from some of the most backward blocks have been enrolled in this quality education initiative,” said Patnaik.
The State Government has gone ahead with the construction of six new medical colleges, he said, adding, “I am hopeful that two of them will be functional by next year and the rest by 2018.”
Informing that the State leads in providing universal coverage to mothers, he said more than two million women have been assisted under the Mamata scheme.