On the report card of the completion of two years of the fourth term of the Naveen Patnaik Government in the State and that of the BJP-led NDA Government at the Centre, the opposition Congress on Tuesday slammed both the Governments, saying they failed to fulfil their commitments to the people on all fronts. Besides, the Congress said corruption ruled the roost during these two years.
The Congress mounted its attack, describing Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik as ‘Small Modi’ and saying that the ‘Big Modi’ at the Centre and the ‘Small Modi’ in the State don’t believe in work, rather in their publicity.
Addressing a Press conference, OPCC president Prasad Harichandan said, “The BJD Government has been in power for the past 16 years. Year after year, it has been doling out false promises.”
Chief Minister Patnaik’s claim that his Government was doing “exceedingly well” in achieving its promises despite fund cuts by the Centre is not acceptable, he opined.
Notably, Chief Minister Patnaik on Monday said, “We believe in work and not in publicity,” and expressed satisfaction over the performance of his Government and his Ministers of whose work he reviewed recently. Patnaik called a hurriedly-convened Press conference and read out a note on the success of his Government ostensibly to counter Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “deep slumber” barb against the State Government at the Baleswar rally.
“The Government had so far paid Rs1.5 crore to lawyers in the past 10 years to protect the Patnaik Government which is neck deep in corruption in mining sector. The Government has been shielding chit fund masterminds while lakhs of victims have been left in the lurch,” Harichandan alleged.
“With the Government shying away from its responsibility, many farmers, who lost their produce due to drought, had not option, but to end their lives. While tragedy was unfolding before it, the Government remained a silent spectator,” charged Harichandan.
Taking a dig at their publicity spree, Harichandan said that Prime Minister Modi was spending Rs 27 lakh per day while Chief Minister Patnaik was spending Rs 10 lakh per day here to drum up their success.
The PCC chief said the Modi-led Government has deprived Odisha of its due share in the Central taxes. The service tax, which was 12.36 per cent in 2014, has now effectively become 15 per cent (inclusive of surcharge and cess), Harichandan remarked.