Bhubaneswar: It was Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s turn on 26 Dec to return attack after he received salvo of charges from Prime Minister Narendra Modi two days back. He did it in style, something not known to be associated with Mr. Patnaik. He jeered all the development claims being made by Modi government.
He said, “I am describing nine success stories of the government of India.” with heavy irony.
On National Highway he said, “you are travelling from Rourkela to Cuttack. There is no problem up to Sambalpur, because this is Biju Superway. After Sambalpur you can know the miserable state of the National Highway. Baripada-Deogarh highway is of same state. We are still waiting for the coastal highway.”
On Telecom: “BSNL is the largest telecom network of the Indian Government. But half of the villages in Odisha don’t have network. You have to climb tree to talk in mobile. You have to be on to the big buildings for mobile connection. With mobile, you need to learn how to climb tree also. And network in the cities is always busy.”
Railways: there is progress in Railway sector. But only in the price of train ticket and platform ticket. We provided half of the project cost of the Khordha- Bolangir line.(We) provided land free of cost. Still no progress in work. I think Khordha Bolangir rail -line will remain in the history book, for the children to read.
Banking service: “Note- ban took place. People were asked to go to bank, long queues in front of the banks. People faced inconvenience. Everyone has experienced it. There is no bank in half of the villages in Odisha. A lot of meetings, a lot of discussions. But people did not avail banking service.”
Coal: “There will be auction of Coal. Odisha will get 70thousand rupees. Big propaganda, but since 2015, coal royalty was not revised. In three years Odisha got only RS 370 crore.”
Crop insurance-“Farmers did not get crop insurance claim in time. Did not get ever in right amount. There was profit, but not for the farmers. Private companies got the profit.”
Election Manifesto: “The BJP manifesto had in it, special status category for Odisha, One and half times of MSP, 33 percent reservation for for women. Nothing happened. Four and half years passed this way.”
Scheduled Cast/Tribe: “(They) stopped funding for tribal area development. Now the eyed on the stipend of the poor SC/ST. They have stopped it for the last two years.”
UJJWALA: “Big propaganda of this plan. Big hoardings everywhere on the roads and buildings. Sorrows of mothers were passed. Claim- 30 lakh women were provided with gas connection. But how many have done the refilling? Where is the LPG price now? You know that.”
Besides, the CM said about how Odisha got a naught from the Rs 21000crore Clean Energy Cess, that the central government has earned. With our land, our mine, Mahanadi Coal Field Ltd is earning Rs 2000 crore a year. But people of Odisha get pollution.
Railways, Mr. Patnaik said, takes Rs 20,000crore from Odisha every year but gives spends only Rs 2,000 crore. “ we have to move to Court for our right on the issue of Mahanadi and Polavaram.”
Leave a Reply