BJD govt pushed Odisha under Rs 1 lakh cr debt burden: Pradhan

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Sunday attacked the BJD government in Odisha alleging that it has pushed the state under a debt burden of Rs 1 lakh crore.

He also charged Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik with depriving the people of the benefits of central schemes such as the Ayushman Bharat medical insurance plan.

"Odisha faces a debt burden of more than Rs 1 lakh crore because the BJD government has cheated the people of the state," Pradhan claimed at a party programme at Angul.

The Naveen Patnaik government did not accept these schemes as it was afraid that implementation of such programmes will increase the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the state, he said.

"But the BJD must realise that the people of Odisha are now impressed with the performance of the BJP-led government at the Centre," Pradhan said.

If the BJP forms government both at the Centre and in Odisha, development of the state will be fast-tracked, the Union petroleum minister said.

People of Odisha have been denied basic facilities like health care, education and drinking water due to the BJD's misrule for the last 19 years, he alleged while addressing the BJP's "Vijay Sankalp Yatra" at Angul.

The party is organising 'Vijay Sankalp Yatra' rallies across the state as part of its election campaign.

Rallies and public meetings will be organised in all the Assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies as part of the campaign, a party leader said.

Assembly polls in Odisha will be held along with Lok Sabha elections in four phases from April 11.