The Odisha Congress on Saturday demanded a high-level probe against the Naveen Patnaik Government for misuse of Central funds and sought a special package for the State on lines of Bihar.
“Massive misutilisation of Central funds and using every subterfuge to gain political mileage from central largesse has become common place in Odisha under the present BJD Government. The CAG has repeatedly castigated the State Government for misuse of Central funds. It is time that a high-level fast track enquiry is instituted to expose this massive pilferage of public money,” Odisha Pradesh Congress president Niranjan Patnaik said after meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Patnaik, who headed a high-level delegation of State party leaders, submitted a memorandum to the PM citing continued backwardness, poverty and Naxalism to seek special financial package on the lines of the one allocated recently to Bihar and Bundelkhand region.
Significantly, ruling BJD had organised State bandh on Friday seeking special financial package from the Centre which has put the Opposition Congress on the back foot in the State.
“The Prime Minister has said that there is no discrimination whatsoever with Odisha as is being claimed by the State Government and under the revised guidelines of backwardness the State would get its due share,” said Patnaik after one hour-long meeting.
The PM said that there was no special proposal from Odisha for the plan panel and hence, the question of discrimination does not arise, he pointed out and said that the UPA Government has been providing substantial funds to Odisha under various Central schemes but unfortunately the State Government is not able to utilise it properly and fully.
Meanwhile, Union Minister Srikant Jena met Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi fueling speculation that changes are likely in State Congress ranks. Rahul spoke on “organisational issues” and strike in the State by ruling BJD, said Jena who was accompanied by former PCC chief Jaydev Jena, party MP Bhakta Charan Das and senior leader lulu Mohapatra.