BJD slams NDA for allegedly causing Rs 1,000 cr loss to Odisha

Mounting a scathing attack on the NDA government at the Centre, the ruling BJD in Odisha today accused it of causing Rs 1,000 crore loss to the state annually and resolved to continue its issue-based fight.
"The Centre has stopped important programmes in Maoist- affected, tribal-dominated and backward areas in Odisha. As a result, the state is deprived of about Rs 1000 crore annual grants," said a resolution adopted at the BJD's state executive committee meeting held here.
The meeting, presided over by BJD President and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, hit out at the Centre for putting an end to programmes like Integrated Action Plan (IAP) and Backward Region Grants Fund (BGRF) which were being implemented in many areas of the state earlier.

Charging the NDA regime with ignoring the interest of Odisha in multi-purpose irrigation project at Polavaram and it's exclusion from the proposed economic corridor, the resolution said central assistance for Sikhya Sahayaks under Sarba Sikhya Abhijan was also withdrawn.
Apart from this, central assistance for many other important social welfare programmes in sectors like women and child development and health and family welfare had been drastically cut, it claimed.
The executive committee also attacked the Centre for announcing a Rs 1.25 lakh crore special package for Bihar and a Rs 35,000 crore package for West Bengal keeping in view the upcoming elections in these states. However, the long-standing demand of Odisha for special category status was ignored.

Accusing the Centre of adopting a partisan approach, the BJD asserted that it would continue its issue-based battle against the NDA government for its rights.

In another resolution, the regional party accused the BJP-led government of failing to control the prices of essential commodities which put an enormous burden on people.
Pointing out that the BJP came to power by making price rise a poll issue, it said the Centre failed to check the prices of essential commodities like oil, pulses and onion as it lacked any policy or action plan.
Noting that spiralling prices caused hardship to the consumers, the resolution also asked the NDA regime to take concrete action to control prices.