Bhubaneswar: The ruling BJD has again questioned the silence of BJP lawmakers from Odisha in what they claimed on issues affecting the populace of the state.
Addressing a presser, senior BJD leader Soumya Ranjan Patnaik and party spokesperson Shreemayee Mishra on Thursday said that the“unjustified” hike in LPG domestic cylinder price had defeated the very intend behind Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana to protect women, especially in rural areas, from the detrimental impact of traditional cooking fuels linked to indoor air pollution. “The price rise instead of smoke of firewood is making them cry now as it has brought them great pain and hardship,” they said.
The price of a domestic LPG cylinder (14.2 kg cylinder), which was was Rs. 410 on March 2014, has gone up to Rs. 1103 following the hike on March 1. “The price has been increased by almost 3 times in the past 9 years. This clearly exposes the doublespeak of the Centre, which had promised to provide cheap cooking gas,” Patnaik said.
The price of cooking gas was hiked by Rs 50 per cylinder, the first increase in eight months, days after polling in Meghalaya and Nagaland ended.
The BJD leaders further alleged that many in the state are unable to refill the cylinders because of this price hike and are back to using firewood. ” The Centre decision to stop 5 kg free rice per person under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) and now the price hike in cooking gas have dealt a double blow to common man’s kitchen and household,” they said.
Patnaik said that it seems that the Narendra Modi-government is not keen on welfare of the poor. “While people were trying to survive with the 5 kg rice available to them, the price of cooking was increased by Rs 50. I don’t understand what point PM Modi wants to make with this. Perhaps, he wants the poor to consume uncooked rice for good health. I strongly condemn this anti-poor attitude of the Centre,” he said.
The ruling party also accused the saffron party leaders of ignoring issues pertaining to general public and women. “Why are they avoiding discussions on matters upsetting the kitchen, life and livelihood of common man? Not people’s welfare but politics is all that matters to these leaders. The BJD stands with mothers and sisters who are struggling to run their kitchen amid escalating prices,” Patnaik said and demanded immediate steps to reduced the price of cooking gas.
“We hope the Centre will take urgent and immediate steps in this regard and ensure that the common man, especially the mothers and sisters of Odisha, are not adversely affected in these troubled times.We also hope that the Odisha BJP will also break its silence and speak up on issues that affect the 4.5 crore people of the state,” he added.
