Bhubaneswar: Skipping a series of hard-hitting questions raised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the BJD government during his visit to Odisha earlier this week, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik also put nine questions pertaining to the Central neglect of the state.
At a public rally in Khurda, Modi had asked, “Why is Odisha still lagging behind in achieving ODF? Why do youths of Odisha migrate from the state? Why are women and children dying due to malnutrition? Why do hospitals lack adequate number of doctors? Why do farmers still clamour for irrigational facilities? Why are the farmers resorting to distress sale of their crop? Why doesn’t a major part of Odisha have access to drinking water? Why do the teachers sit on dharna to get their salaries? Who is feeding the demon of corruption?”
“If these questions are answered honestly, development in Odisha can happen in a more transparent manner,” Modi had asserted.
Interestingly, the BJD supremo who has refrained from responding to Modi’s posers, put nine other questions at the Centre while addressing a gathering of party workers to mark the 21st foundation day of Biju Janata Dal here.
Blowing the bugle for 2019 elections, Patnaiik also demanded financial autonomy for Odisha saying it would help the state develop and prosper with its own resources.
Recalling legendary Biju Patnaik’s plea for fiscal autonomy for the state, the BJD president said Biju Babu had rightly contemplated transforming Odisha into the most developed state in south Asia provided it had the financial autonomy.
“I fully endorse the statement made by Biju Babu,” said Naveen, adding, “Give us financial autonomy, we will no more need special category status or Central grant for the state. We will be able to develop and prosper with our own funds.” He, however, did not elaborate on the issue.
In an attempt to target the Modi government, the Chief Minister sought answers on Central neglect of Odisha in nine specific sectors saying “Jabab Maguchi Odisha (Odisha wants to know),” which interestingly is the name of a BJP campaign launched by Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Wednesday.
“Regional parties across the country have started gaining public support. What is the reason,” he asked. In reciprocation of the PM’s posers Naveen also asked nine counter-questions and sought clarification from the Centre.
Drawing a comparison between the National Highways in Odisha with the state roads, Naveen slammed the Centre for not taking proper care to maintain the NHs. He said the coastal highway project remains confined to announcements in the past four-and-a-half years.
He said the Odisha government had urged the Centre to improve the BSNL network in the state. The plight of the network is so poor that one has to go either to the rooftop of a house or climb trees to avail the network. One has to master the art of climbing trees if he/she owns a mobile phone, Naveen said. “There is growth in railways sector. But it is only in matters of passenger fares or platform ticket prices. For the Khurda-Bolangir railway project, the state government has provided land free of cost and contributed half of the project cost. I think the project will remain only in the history books for children to read,” the BJD chief ridiculed.
Speaking on non-revision of coal royalty, the chief minister said, “The Centre has imposed Clean Energy Cess on coal and gets `20,000 crore. But Odisha’s gain is zero. Central PSU Mahandi Coalfields Ltd (MCL) is making a profit of `20,000 crore but Odisha is getting only pollution.”
Similarly, half of Odisha’s villages do not have banking facility. The demonetisation drive of the Centre has severely affected the economy and livelihood of people of Odisha. Besides, the people are deprived of proper banking facility in rural areas, he pointed out.
The farmers of Odisha are deprived of crop loan facilities while private insurance companies in the state are making huge profits, he alleged.
Accusing the BJP-led government of failing to keep its promises made in the 2014 election manifesto, the BJD leader said the promise to grant special category status to Odisha, hike in MSP for paddy and input cost and 33 per cent reservation for women remained “only in words”.
The Centre also stopped grant for development of tribal areas and Scheduled Caste people, he said adding stipend for SC and ST students has been abandoned for the last two years.
Terming the much-trumpeted ‘Ujjwala Yojana’ as a failure, the BJD president said poor families were unable to go for refilling due to high cost of LPG cylinders.
“These are the so-called success story of Central government … Odisha seeks an explanation from them on these issues,” he thundered.
Throwing a barrage of questions at the BJP-led NDA government, Patnaik alleged that both the Congress and the BJP have all along been neglecting Odisha because of which the state and its people have been suffering.
Stating that national parties appear before the people only at the time of elections, the CM said they disappear after making promises as they have little concern for the state.