Bhubaneswar: The district unit of BJD alleged Saturday that the BJP-led government at the Centre had stopped seven to eight out of 33 Central-sponsored schemes in the state.
Addressing a press meet here, the BJD leaders including School and Mass Education Minister Badri Narayan Patra observed that the mineral-rich district has been deprived of major schemes like BRGF, IAP and ACA. The NDA government has also caused severe loss to the Odisha government by raising the state’s share in Central schemes.
The Centre has completely neglected PSU companies like SAIL and OMDC. This has affected the revenue generation in Keonjhar. The Centre doesn’t pay any heed even to the demand to shift the head office of OMDC from Kolkata to Keonjhar.
Despite SAIL having two high production mines at Balani and Kiribur, the Centre has failed to set up captive steel plants in Keonjhar. The Central government also did not cooperate in the proposed takeover of Kalinga Iron Works (set up by former Chief Minister Biju Patnaik, father of present CM Naveen Patnaik) to SAIL, the BJD members alleged.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated doubling of two railway lines (Naranpur-Basantpur, Chilikidhara-Sagadpata), but the Keonjhar line has been neglected even though the district has contributed thousands of crores of rupees to the Central government in the form of mineral transportation.
The Central government also failed to complete the construction of two Kendriya Vidyalayas proposed at Champua and Anandapur. Moreover, the BJD members mocked the PM for inaugurating the NH-215 which had been undertaken during the UPA government.
Similarly, the Central government has stopped providing funds to the only ESI hospital at Joda, even though the district contributes a lot towards the mining sector.
The BJD members demanded the existing Rupsa-Bangripossi railway link to be extended up to Keonjhar which will be viable for the department. Moreover, they demanded a halt of superfast and express trains. The meeting was attended by senior district BJD members and School and Mass Education minister Badri Narayan Patra.
PNN
