For the first time, the State’s ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Sunday announced to take to the street against the NDA Government for allegedly neglecting Odisha in the Union Budget. Hitting out at the Centre over the “poor treatment to Odisha” in the budget, the party decided to hold demonstrations before the Raj Bhavan and at all district headquarters on Monday and Tuesday, respectively. The demonstrations will be carried out together by three wings of the party, Biju Mahila Dal, Biju Chhatra Janata Dal and Biju Yuva Janata Dal (BJYD).
Briefing reporters here, BJYD president and Minister Sanjay Dasburma said that while special assistance has been made for neighbouring States of West Bengal and Bihar, Odisha has been completely neglected. “The special assistance for WB and Bihar exposes the real intention of the NDA Government, which claims to be focusing on development of eastern part of the country. Is Odisha not situated in the eastern region of IndiaIJ On what ground did the Centre prefer not to allocate special assistance to OdishaIJ” Dasburma wanted to know.
“Despite the Odisha Government’s sincere appeals, no allocation was made for the mega Nabakalebar festival of lord Jagannath when around 50 lakh devotees are expected to throng Puri,” rued Dasburma. Rejecting the Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s claim that the State would get crores from the mining auction, Dasburma said, “The Union Minister must have the knowledge that the Ordinance they promulgated reveals a completely different story as it prevents States from auctioning mines for at least another five years, that is up to 2020.” He decried the Fourteenth Finance Commission’s recommendations stating that Odisha would lose Rs4,600 crore in five years. The party would further intensify its protests in the form of agitation against the Centre in near future, added Dasburma.