Bhubaneswar: Disappointed over the budgetary allocation to Orissa in railway sector, ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) said the budget is just like ‘old wine in new bottle’.
The Railway Ministry has claimed that about `5252 crore has been allocated to Orissa in this budget.
Speaking to media here Tuesday, BJD spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Pratap Deb said, “There is nothing new in the allocation for Orissa in the railway sector. The Centre has just allocated fund for the declared and ongoing projects of the state. Once again, they (Centre) tried to hoodwink the people of the state.” The Centre has given wrong information to the people by claiming they have given `5252 crore to Orissa in rail sector, Deb said, adding, “the figure given by the railway minister is not matching with the figures provided in the website of his ministry. They are just playing with figures, nothing else.” The East Coast Railway (ECoR) has failed to utilise the fund allotted in the last budget, the BJD leader said. “There is no improvement in the expenditure figure during last few years. So there is no meaning of allotment of funds, if it was not utilised.”
Reacting to Deb, BJP leader Prithviraj Harichandan said, “They just know how to blame Centre in every case. The allocation amount has been increased this year. Apart from `5252 crore under ECoR, the state will get another `912 crore from South Eastern Railway and South East Central Railway.”
PNN
