A day after Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik skipped the Posco issue while reviewing the status of big-ticket projects in the State, Union Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday clarified that it is the State that has to clear its stand on the mega project of the South Korean company.
“The Odisha Government should put forth its view on the Posco project first. It is the State that has to decide whether it wants the plant or not. The State Government’s stand is more important than that of the Centre,” Sitharaman told reporters here.
She was in Bhubaneswar to attend a media workshop of BJP cadres to mark the completion of the first year of the Narendra Modi Government at the Centre.
She also rejected outright the State Government’s charge that the State had got a raw deal in the 14th Finance Commission recommendations.
“The allegation of Central negligence to the States, particularly Odisha, is baseless. How can they say thatIJ With the enhancement of Odisha’s share from 38 per cent to 42 per cent, the State is set to get Rs 1,12,677 crore more in the next five years. The Finance Commission made its recommendations after consulting all State Governments, including Odisha,” Sitharaman said.
She also maintained that Odisha would be the biggest beneficiary of the e-auction of minerals, including coal, and is set to receive enhanced income of nearly Rs 2 lakh crore in the next five years.
“Odisha will get Rs 8,231 crore this year alone under various heads,” said Sitharaman, maintaining that Odisha has got the highest-ever allocation in the Railway Budget this year.
She said Prime Minister Modi has given a corruption-free, transparent and accountable Government to the country in the last one year and the trend would continue.
Maintaining that Modi Government has successfully launched a number of pro-people and pro-poor schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana, Atal Pension Yojana,
Pradhan Mantri Surakshya Bima Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Beema Yojana,. She said there was a scam almost every day during the UPA II Government.
Sitharaman said all the promises made in the BJP’s general election manifesto would be fulfilled. The Congress has no moral right to criticise the Modi Government, she said.
She urged the party cadres to visit villages and remote areas to educate the people about the pro-poor schemes and welfare measures being undertaken by the Modi Government.