Bhubaneswar: The state unit of BJP Saturday slammed the BJD government for not allocating funds for execution of the recently-announced Gangadhara Meher Lift Irrigation project for Bijepur in the supplementary budget.
Addressing media persons here, BJP legislator Pradip Purohit said, “The BJD government has disrespected the nature poet Gangadhara Meher by announcing a project in his name hastily without any budgetary provisions.”
Without allocation of a single rupee for the project in the supplementary budget, the government has cheated the people of Gaisilet, he said.
Though more than Rs 1 crore was spent on promotion of the project, even a token amount was not allocated for it, he said, adding, his party will raise the issue on the floor of the Assembly Monday.”
The supplementary budget was presented in the Assembly two days ago. In the budget, the government has allocated Rs 538.02 crore to the Water Resources department, of which Rs 493.47 crore has been provided for development of irrigation projects. However, the government has not given a token amount of money for the project, the BJP leader said.
Purohit further said, “In March, while replying to a question, the Chief Minister had said that the government doesn’t have any proposal to execute irrigation project for Bijepur area.”
However, BJD spokesperson Prashant Nanda, said, “The ruling party has fulfilled the promises made in its poll manifesto. The Chief Minister has not failed to act on his words.”
Nanda said rather the Narendra Modi-led Central government has made a joke of itself. “Be it the promises of granting special state status to Orissa or benefits of GST rollout, the Prime Minister has not been able to keep his words.”
PNN
