BJP seeks spl audit of Ama Gaon Ama Bikash

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Bhubaneswar: A delegation of BJP MLAs led by Legislature Party leader K V Singh Deo Tuesday demanded a special audit of ‘Ama Gaon Ama Bikash’ (AGAB) and ‘Biju Yuva Bahini’ launched by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik recently.
In a memorandum submitted to the Accountant General (AG), the delegation also urged the AG to inquire into the advertisement campaigns launched by the state government to promote its own political agenda violating the Supreme Court guidelines.
Alleging that the state government has scant respect to the Constitutional propriety, parliamentary budgetary control or constitutional authorities, the BJP MLAs requested the AG to intervene in the matter.
The memorandum alleged that the state government has allocated Rs 1,200 crore for AGAB programme and by August 30 last the CM has sanctioned 37,331 projects worth Rs 919 crore directly under the scheme. It is essentially a party programme but money is being spent from Consolidated Fund of the State violating the constitution, the memorandum pointed out.
It further said no local level officers/functionaries are involved in selection or sanction of the project. There is no list of projects in public domain and the elected representatives have no role to play in deciding and executing the projects.
The BJP MLAs also alleged that no tender is invited for works and they were given to the party workers of BJD as petty works contract. No formal procedure for preparing estimates, giving technical sanctions was followed before the works are sanctioned by the chief minister. The guidelines of the schemes are not available in public domain and the selection process of work, beneficiary and executing agency is totally opaque.
The memorandum alleged that huge amount is being spent on advertising the scheme both in print and electronic media and posters and hoardings to highlight the BJD and to enhance the image of the Chief Minister which runs contrary to the guidelines of the SC.
The memorandum alleged that the Biju Yuba Bahini was launched ostensibly to promote volunteerism and rural sports among youth of age group 15 to 35 but it is a political move for mobilisation of youth cadre in support of the BJD spending money from the state exchequer.