Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Sunday launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led Centre for neglecting the cause of Odisha on several fronts since 2014. Taking on the saffron party over its ‘Pratisruti Samabesh’ in Odisha, the BJD said that the BJP should first fulfill their old promises and then make further commitments.
“During the course of this ‘samabesh’, the BJP is promising jobs for youths, land record rights and pucca houses for the poor, toilets and drinking water facilities in every house,” said BJD general secretary Sanjay Das Burma.
“It is an irony that the BJP made the same promises five years back in 2014, but they were never fulfilled. The BJP leaders have time and again betrayed the people of Odisha with false promises,” Mishra added.
According to Biju Krushak Janata Dal general secretary, Pratap Jena, some of the false promises made BJP include special category status for Odisha, two crore jobs every year and Rs 15 lakh deposit in the bank account of each individual.
“On the development front, the Mahanadi and Polavaram issues as well as the coastal highway project have been neglected by the Centre. While the cost of 33 projects has been cut drastically, eight programmes have been completely stopped,” Jena said.
Jena added that it was Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s vision and commitment due to which 20 lakh houses were constructed in the last five years. Under ‘Basundhara’ scheme, 1.20 lakh beneficiaries have been allotted land, while 30,000 ‘pattas’ have been awarded to the landless under ‘Jaga’ scheme in the urban areas.
“It was during the past 10 years of the BJD rule that nine lakh youths were skilled and roads built in 41,000 villages of the state,” the BJD leaders added.