Rahul Gandhi urges people to throw out corrupt BJD Govt
Rahul Gandhi on Sunday exhorted Congress workers and common people to fight the “corrupt and inefficient” Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Government and ensure its defeat in the upcoming General Elections.
Addressing a public meeting at Bhatapada village here, the Congress vice-president came down heavily on the Naveen-led BJD Government and accused it of siphoning of Central funds meant for the State’s development.
He said Odisha is a rich (Amir) State with bounties of natural resources. The State has huge deposits of iron ore, coal, bauxite and manganese and a vast coastline, but it is unfortunately the poorest State in the country as pointed out in the Raghuram Rajan Commission report. “The people of this ‘Amir’ State are ‘Garib’ (poor) because the money that the minerals in the State fetch does not reach the people. It goes to the pockets of mining mafia and a handful of other people,” he alleged.
As many as 3,500 farmers have committed suicide and over 10 lakh unemployed youths are still waiting to get jobs in the State. The tribals and Dalits are being oppressed and subjected to discrimination, Gandhi said, adding, “Many schools and hospitals in the State are closed because the BJD Government is incapable of providing teachers for schools and doctors for hospitals.”
He said Odisha has received a record amount of Central funds in the last decade under the UPA rule. However, the BJD Government has failed to make use of it. In any case, the funds never reach the target population, he said. “I am told `5,000 crore is still lying unspent here,” he said. The chief of the Congress Campaign Committee referred to a series of scams that have surfaced during the BJD rule including the mining scam, MGNRGEA scam, midday meal scam and PDS rice scam.
Stating that 20 lakh poor investors have been duped by chit fund companies and the mining scam in Odisha is worth a hefty `60,000 crore, Gandhi asked his party workers as well as voters to ensure defeat of the BJD Government in the general elections.
He advised Congress workers to go to villages and tell the people all about the BJD Government’s misdeeds. “I took up the fight for the Adivasis in Niyamgiri and ensured protection of their inalienable rights. This fight must go on,” he said.
Gandhi’s meeting was attended by a large crowd, with women outnumbering men. The other Congress members who addressed the rally included Union Minister Srikant Jena, PCC president Jayadev Jena, leader of the Opposition in Assembly Bhupinder Singh and Kalahandi MP Bhakta Das.