Bhubaneswar/Jharsuguda: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Thursday said the state would no more tolerate ‘Central negligence’.
“We will no more tolerate Central negligence towards Odisha and its development,” Patnaik said, addressing a public meeting at Amalipalli ground in Jharsuguda where Prime Minister Narendra Modi September 22 attended a BJP rally.
Patnaik has planned to follow Modi’s trail and address public meetings where the opposition BJP held congregations during the past few months, according to a BJD official.
Assembly elections are due along with the Lok Sabha election. The Chief Minister also accused the Centre of “failing” to give justice to Odisha over Mahanadi river water dispute with Chhattisgarh and said the state had to move the court because of BJP-led government’s “apathy”.
The Chief Minister said he has demanded the introduction of a Shatabdi Express train from Bhubaneswar to Rourkela via Jharsuguda. “Let us see whether the Centre make any arrangement for train operation,” he said.
During his visit to Jharsuguda, Patnaik inaugurated and dedicated several projects worth more than Rs 600 crore.
Patnaik laid the foundation stone for the Rs 145-crore Cancer Care Hospital, four mega water supply projects in Jharsuguda, Sadar, Kolbira, Kirmira and Laikera block worth Rs 388 crore.
He also laid the foundation stone for a railway bridge at Choukipada, Nidan Kendra and an irrigation project.
Six lift irrigation projects in Jharsuguda and Lakhanpur block worth Rs 32 lakh, two grid stations in Jharsuguda and Kirimira blocks were also inaugurated by the Chief Minister.
Patnaik also distributed social security benefits, assistance to construction workers and land pattas and incentives to women self help groups.
Speaking at the function, the CM slammed the Union government for neglecting the state and said it would not be tolerated any more.
He said the demand for the revision of coal royalty was not heeded. The Centre, Patnaik alleged, was taking crores of revenue as tax from the state and giving pollution to the state.
He said the Union government inaugurated the airport at Jharsuguda with much fan fare but the operation of flights has not yet been started, he remarked.