Post News Network
Bhubaneswar: With BJP government at the Centre busy highlighting its two year’s work, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Monday said his government believes in work and not in publicity.
“My government is accountable to the people. It believes in work and not in publicity,” said Patnaik while briefing newsmen at the Secretariat.
Patnaik’s statement comes days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a rally in Balasore to highlight BJP government’s achievements in the past two years.
Expressing satisfaction over the performance of state ministers and progress made by their respective departments, he said, “I am happy with the overall progress. We are definitely moving towards fulfilling our promises. I am happy to note that most of the departments have done exceedingly well, but we have to improve in some areas.”
Hitting out at Modi government for raising service tax from 12.36 per cent in 2014 to 15 per cent at present, Naveen said, “This will further increase prices, putting a heavy burden on the common man.”
Orissa is the only state in the country to adopt the manifesto as the agenda for governance on the day the government assumed office, he asserted.
“Many Central schemes which used to be in the 90:10 sharing pattern have been changed to 60:40 and 50:50,” he said, adding, “In spite of this we have made stupendous achievements on the government’s priorities.”
“We have created a record in providing shelter and security to one million households and I am sure we will cross the 2.3 million target,” he reiterated.
He said commissioning of mega lifts and other efforts have led to creation of 3 lakh hectare additional irrigation.
“We have increased our investment in irrigation and are moving towards the target of one million hectares of capacity addition. We have made the effective rate of interest to 1 per cent for crop loans to benefit small and medium farmers,” Patnaik said.
He said electrification of 11.5 lakh households including 3 lakh BPL families has been completed and construction of 500 sub-stations is in full swing.
“We set up 100 Odisha Adarsh Vidyalayas and it is heartening to note that over 30,000 children from rural areas from the most backward blocks have been enrolled in this quality education initiative,” he said, adding, “In spite of stoppage of funds by the Centre, we have gone ahead with building six medical colleges two of which will be made functional by 2018.”
On the increasing cess and surcharges, Patnaik said, this will deprive Orissa from the due share in Central taxes.
Meanwhile, BJP leader and Union minster Jual Oram said the BJD government does not have any achievement to publicise as they have done little for the state.