BJP Observes ‘Corruption Day’ On Panchayatiraj Diwas Across Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Even as Odisha celebrated Panchayatiraj Diwas on Sunday as a tribute to legendary leader and former chief minister Biju Patnaik on his birth anniversary, the state unit of the BJP observed ‘Bhrastachar Diwas’ (Corruption Day) in protest against large scale financial irregularities in every sphere of the state administration.

As announced by BJP on Saturday, the party workers stated dharna wearing black badges in all 314 blocks of the state. They raised slogans against corruption in all departments of the state government. “While the entire nation celebrates Panchayatiraj Diwas on April 24, the Odisha government is celebrating it on March 5 as a tribute to Biju Patnaik. But the ruling party is involved in irregularities amounting to Rs 5,000 crore in the Panchayati Raj system every year,” they alleged.

Speaking at a dharna in Salepur of Cuttack district, state president of BJP Samior Mohanty said, “Besides panchayat department, massive irregularities have been detected in PMAY, MGNREGS, job card, Ration Card and construction of toilets. As a result, real beneficiaries have been deprived of the benefits of Central projects and schemes.”

He also said he government has been avoiding to give direct answers to the questions raised by the Opposition on various issues, the latest being the murder of minister Naba Das, on the floor of the Assembly.

The BJP leader further said while more than half of PEO posts are lying vacant in 7,689 panchayats of the state, the junior engineers in blocks have turned middlemen to collect PC (percentage) for the ruling party. “Palli Sabha and Gram Sabha have been almost abolished since September 2017, large scale corruption in panchayati raj system has become major road block for development in the state,” he added.