Will end ‘goonda raj’ in state: Modi

Bhubaneswar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday asked voters in the state to vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Odisha to end ‘goonda raj’ and ensure eradication of crime from the state.
Speaking at a rally in Barmunda here, Modi cited the recent case of murder of a BJP leader from Khurda to drive home his point. “Two days back a BJP leader was murdered in Khurda. This shows the desperate nature of some people. We need to end the ‘goonda raj’ in the state to ensure that citizens and women are safe here. Vote for us to end the ‘goonda raj’ in Odisha,” he said.
Terming the state government as ‘slow and laggard’, the PM highlighted lack of amenities for people in the state. He said eight lakh poor families in Odisha got pucca houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY). If the state had a BJP government and not the BJD, the quantum could have been three times. “If the state government had been as active as I am, the pace of development could have increased manifold. You gave the state to a single man for 20 years. Give me the state for five years and I will show you what development means,” he said.
Claiming that his government approved eight mega water projects for the state, the PM promised to create a dedicated ministry to cater to the needs of drinking water issues in the country. The PM also took a dig at the state government for not coming onboard the Ayushman Bharat scheme thereby allegedly depriving patients of financial assistance.
The PM also took on the BJD for what he claimed spreading rumours. “The BJD is desperate now. They are now spreading misinformation, saying, if the BJP forms a government it could stop existing schemes. We want to make it clear that we are a government that does not stop schemes but stops wrongdoings and corruption in the schemes,” he said.
He also talked about increased central assistance for railways, roads, housing and infrastructure. The pace of development in Odisha would get an impetus if the BJP comes to power in the state, he claimed.