Failures Of State Govt & Centre: Odisha Cong To Gherao Raj Bhavan In Bhubaneswar On Aug 5

Bhubaneswar: The Congress will gherao Governor’s House in Odisha capital on August 5 in protest against the failure of state and Central governments on various issues.

Stating this at a presser in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Sarat Patnaik said both governments have failed in controlling the rising prices of essential items, putting the burden on common people.

Patnaik said the BJP, which had promised ‘Achhe Din’ (good times) during General Elections in 2014, has failed to control the prices of petroleum products. While the domestic LPG was available for Rs 410 in Odisha in 2014, its cost has gone up to Rs 1,080 now.

Similarly, the prices of petrol and diesel have crossed Rs 100 per litre, he said adding that the Centre has earned more than 25 lakh crore of rupees from the fuel cost and the state generated revenue of thousands of crores from its taxes. Though cost escalation of the two petroleum products has led to price rise, the governments remained silent, he added.

He further said when the Centre was going to implement GST, it had stated that the prices of all commodities would come down. Now, it has imposed 5% GST on poor man’s food like flattened rice, puffed rice, molasses and flour. Unfortunately, the Odisha government did not oppose the Centre’s move, he added.

On unemployment problem, Patnaik said while the BJP had made poll promise of generating 2 crore jobs in the country every year, around 15 crore youths have been unemployed in the last 8 years. Similarly, the BJD government in the state has failed to keep its promise of employing 2 lakh youths every year. Instead, it had cut down sanctioned posts by 50% and outsourced the jobs to outside companies or given employment on contract basis for its vested interest, he alleged.

In order to highlight the failures of the state and Central governments, the Congress would gherao Raj Bhavan on August 5 and its workers would stage protest before collectors’ offices in all the districts of Odisha, Patnaik said.