Bhubaneswar: Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Wednesday took a jibe at Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister S N Patro for not forgoing subsidy on gas cylinders for the sake of welfare of the poor.
Addressing a BJP function here, Pradhan said, “Naveen Patnaik’s Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister S N Patro has received Rs 1,850 as subsidy meant for poor consumers in 2018.”
The state minister said he was not aware about the matter and accused the Union Petroleum Minister of having ‘vindictive’ attitude towards him.
“I am not aware about the allegations made by Pradhan. The delivery man comes and gives cooking gas at my house. I do not know when the subsidy money is deposited in my account. Why should I take subsidy on gas,” Patro told PTI when contacted.
“This is vindictive attitude of Pradhan as my department along with vigilance had raided on the gas agency owned by Union Minister’s brother. His brother was booked in a case for blackmarketing. His brother was in bail from High Court,” he added.
Earlier in the month, both Patro and Pradhan were engaged in a war of words over the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana.
While Patro alleged that the Ujjwala Yojana has failed in Odisha as poor people were unable to go for refilling of cyclinders due to high cost of LPG, Pradhan had rejected it.
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