The lead Rourkela, a social organisation, on Sunday slammed the Steel Authority of India limited (SAIl) alleging that it spent huge amount of public money for the two-hour Rourkela visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 1. Addressing newsmen here, lead Rourkela convenor Priyabrata Bhanja said while the Prime Minister announced nothing new for Rourkelaites and the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) workers, yet the RSP management spent crores of rupees earned by the hard works of the workers.
He stated that the second phase of the RSP modernisation was the gift of former UPA Government. Many modernisation units had started operations a year back and were inaugurated earlier either by the SAIl Chairman or the Steel Minister. So, there was no need to inaugurate the modernization unit further, Bhanj said. Similarly, Bhanj said Modi’s declaration for upgrading the IGH into a medical college and super specialty hospital is not new. The SAIl Chairman had made this announcement during a discussion with the State Government way back on October 6, 2012.
The second bridge over Brahmani is a pending project of the Central Government for which a work order had been given to a contractor once though he left the job later. Rourkela MlA Dilip Ray and Union Minister Jual Oram had earlier revealed through a Press release that a re-tended would be invited by the Union Road and Transport Ministry soon for the proposed project.
Bhanja said the PM’s announcement of Rs 50 for the upcoming Nabakalebar Festival at Puri is also not new as it was declared earlier by Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma. It would have been gifts for Rourkela people, had the Prime Minister declared establishment of IIM at Rourkela and inclusion of Rourkela in Smart City list, which are being demanded by the denizens here for long, Bhanja said. He warned that the RSP should stop spending money unnecessarily otherwise his organisation would go for a public awareness campaign in coming days.