On Central aid, PDS, BJD performance in fourteen years
Union Minister and State Congress campaign committee chief Srikant Jena on Thursday challenged BJD chief and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to a public debate on Central assistance and BJD’s performance in the State in last 14 years. The Congress leader also set an ultimatum for Patnaik to respond to the challenge by Monday.
Speaking to mediapersons here, the Union Minister said the Congress would give a clear picture on funds provided by the UPA Government to the State in the last 10 years, while the Chief Minister has to say what his Government has done pertaining to the utilisation of the funds.
“Public debate is an essential part of democracy by which things are put in their right perspectives for the common people’s knowledge. As such, the Chief Minister who has been consistently waging a war against the Centre on the plank of not getting adequate funds must clarify on the quantum of funds he has received and the amount he spent. If he does not respond by Monday, we will go to meet him and invite him for an open debate,” said Jena. Pradesh Congress Committee president Jaydev Jena was by his side.
Jena raised several issues — including mining scam, mining royalty, BJD’s ‘false’ propaganda on PDS rice and State Government’s undue favour to power distribution companies etc. He dared the Chief Minister to place his side on the issues. He asked Patnaik as to why he was silent on mining scam in the State.
Quoting Chief Minister’s allegation on Wednesday that the Centre was not revising mining royalty, the Union Minister asked Patnaik why he did not take appropriate steps on the issue while he was the Union Steel and Mines Minister during the NDA regime.
The Congress leader criticised the State Government for hiking electricity tariff at the cost of the consumers just to favour the distribution companies.
“We are producing cheap electricity, but our people buy it at a higher cost,” said the Congress leader, adding, “The State Government has shown yet another favour to many companies in the State by not collecting the dues against them for years which is worth hundreds of crores of rupees.”
Apart from the Jenas, Congress leaders including former Chief Minister Dr Giridhar Gamango, Prasad Harichandan, Sk Matlub Ali and Narasingha Mishra by releasing a poster claimed that the contribution of the Centre in the Re 1-a-kg rice scheme is 90 per cent.
The Union Minister said the State Government has been misleading the people saying that it is shouldering a great burden by providing Re 1-a-kg BPl rice. But the contribution of the State Government is only 10 per cent in the rice scheme, he said. He further alleged that while the Centre is providing 35 kg rice per family every month, the State is paying only 25 kg, thereby siphoning off 10 kg rice.
“If the Chief Minister comes to a public debate, people will know the truth,” the Union Minister said.