Gadkari attacks Patnaik govt for stalling centre's projects

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari Wednesday mounted a scathing attack on the BJD government in Odisha accusing it of stalling many projects and welfare schemes of the centre by refusing to cooperate.

The senior BJP leader said Odisha remained poor and backward despite being endowed with rich mineral and natural resources as the BJD government led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik lacked vision and will.

Addressing election meetings in Basudevpur and Bonth-Bhandaripokhari areas in Bhadrak district, Gadkari accused the BJD government of not implementing many welfare schemes of the central government.

Stating that the BJP-led government is keen to expand railways network in Odisha, the union minister said while there is no dearth of funds for development railways, the state government is not extending necessary cooperation.

A numner of important railway projects are unable to make headway as the state government has put roadblocks and failed to ensure land acquisition, he alleged and said that BJP goverments both at the centre and in Odisha will ensure speedy development of the eastern state.

The union Surface Transport and Shipping minister also presented BJP's "double engine" theory before the people and said a BJP government at Delhi should be backed by a party dispensation in Odisha to ensure that both work in tandem for the interest of people.

"Odisha will be immensely benefitted by central government's schemes if BJP comes to power both in centre and state," he said.

Hitting out at chief minister Naveen Patnaik for refusing to accept the union government's Ayushman Bharat Scheme, Gadkari said a large number of poor people of the state were deprived of the benefits of the health insurance scheme because of the BJD's narrow mindset.

Accusing the BJD government of having failed in all spheres, Gadkari said education, health, irrigation and many other sectors in Odisha are in doldrums due to state government's apathy.

As there is large scale of vacancies in schools and hospitals, people particularly in rural areas are deprived of quality education and better health care facilities, Gadkari said adding the BJD government needs to be replaced if the state has to progress.

Stating that BJP will focus on farmers' welfare and take steps for strengthening health and education sector, he said his party has been working sincerely for empowering the women and weaker sections of the society.

BJP has fielded Abhimanyu Sethi, son of former Union Minister Arjun Charan Sethi, in Bhadrak parliamentary constituency wehre polling is slated to be held in the fourth phase on April 29.