Bhubaneswar: Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Mansukh Mandaviya Wednesday attacked the state government here for failing to implement many of their state welfare schemes and asked the BJD-ruled government to refrain from politics over schemes.
Speaking to the media the minister said, “State welfare schemes are good but their implementations should be good too. I am not against the state government coming out with welfare schemes but as per the feedback we got from the people there are issues with implementation of state schemes.”
The minister also accused the state of failing to assist the Centre in highway constructions. He said, “For highways we need land acquisitions from the state government. Quicker land acquisitions ensure faster expansion of road networks, but due to lack of timely land acquisitions in Odisha and West Bengal several of our roads projects are hanging in balance. We often hold talks with the state on the issue.”
The MoS said that the state government seemed to think that faster growth may give credit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and that is why they are not cooperating. When asked about the low wage to farmers under central scheme for farmers, the minister said, “Our finance minister has said that the amount under farmers’ scheme could be increased but first let the state give us the list of eligible farmers.”
The minister also accused the state of depriving the Odias living in Gujarat of medical insurance for not coming under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. He said, “In Gujarat around 7 lakh Odias are living who are deprived of the health insurance scheme. We do not say that we would provide benefits only where we have formed government, then why is the Odisha government doing it? There should not be politics on that.”
The minister, meanwhile, boasted about the scheme of the Modi government and also said that around 52 lakh families in the country every year fall in the BPL category due to medical expenses but now they have got respite under the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat scheme.
