The principal opposition party Congress today forced the state revenue and disaster management minister, Surya Narayan Patro to amend his statement in the Assembly on the central aid to the state for relief and rehabilitation work in the Phailin and flood affected areas.
This followed a scathing attack by the Congress chief whip Prasad Harichandan, with presentation of documents in the House to punch holes in the ruling BJD's (Biju Janata Dal) theory that the Centre has meted out a step-motherly treatment to Odisha by not paying up its assured Rs 1,000 crore interim calamity assistance.
Patro, in the course of discussions in the assembly yesterday, had informed that the Centre had paid only Rs 250 crore of the promised amount.
Immediately after the question hour today, Harichandan drew the Speaker's attention to the fallacy in the revenue minister's statement and accused him of misleading the House and the people of the state in general.
Giving the details of the Centre's assistance following the cyclone, Harichandan said, "The Union government on November 19 had paid in advance Rs 250 crore as grant in aid towards the Centre's contribution to the State Disaster Response Fund which was supposed to be received in January or February."
In addition, the Centre has paid Rs 250 crore from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) on November 29 while Rs 500 crore was released to the state government from the NDRF on December 3," he said.
The Congress legislators then trooped into the well of the House demanding the resignation of the revenue minister forcing the Speaker to adjourn the house five times.
"This act (of telling lie) of the revenue minister to the assembly is unpardonable," Harichandan said.
Later rectifying his stand, Patro admitted that the revenue and disaster management department has received the sanction order for Rs 250 crore released from NDRF on December 29.
Similarly, another Rs 500 crore was made available to the state from the Union government on December 3, but the sanction order has not been uploaded in the Finance Ministry's website (till afternoon 1 pm) or a duplicate copy has not been received by the revenue department or by the office of the Special Relief Commissioner. The state government has received Rs 750 crore from NDRF, he said.
"I came to know about the release of funds to the state treasury today after communicating with the finance department. In this regard, I rectify my statement," he stated on the floor of the house.
"The government has no right to stay in power even for a day and the minister should resign immediately," said Bhupinder Singh, Leader of Opposition.
He criticised the ruling legislators for raising anti- Centre slogans in the state assembly and also took a dig at the BJD MPs, who staged dharana in the Parliament premises on the Centre's apathy towards Odisha for relief and rehabilitation post-Phailin.
It may be noted, the ruling BJD in the state had been alleging that the Centre was not doing enough for the reconstruction work in the cyclone and flood affected areas in the state which caused wide devastation in about 18 districts to score political mileage both within the assembly and outside.
Prime Minister had announced an interim assistance of Rs 1,000 crore each for Andhra Pradesh and Odisha for relief and rehabilitation. But BJD said, the government has not received a single penny out of this amount.
"The total quantum of assistance to the states will be finalised after consideration of the on-the spot assessment report of the Inter-Ministerial Central Team", read a PIB release.
