Odisha Bypoll: Centre Misleading Padampur People On Rail Project & Farmers’ Issues, Claims BJD

Bargarh: Accusing Union Ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw and N S Tomar of misleading the people of Odisha ahead of Padampur Assembly bypoll, BJD on Sunday said laying new railway lines and giving crop insurance to farmers are the Centre’s responsibility.

“Everyone knows that the responsibility for establishing new railway lines is with the Centre and not with the state,” BJD’s Senior Vice-President Prasanna Acharya said after Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw’s statement on Bargarh-Nuapada rail line via Padampur.

On Vaishnaw seeking land from Odisha government for laying the railway line, the former Finance Minister said it seems BJP is not clear as to what and when they are saying.

He said Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced in 2018 that Padampur rail line has been sanctioned by the Centre, but railway Ministry in 2019 stated that the line was not viable.

“Let the Centre show us one paper where they have asked Odisha government for land for Padampur railway line. The Centre cannot show any paper because it has not ever asked for land in the last four years since,” Acharya said.

Though it is the Centre’s responsibility to provide land and funds for the railway projects, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and state government volunteered and announced Rs 300 crores for the railway line and free land for this railway project, he said.

Despite that the Centre did not start this project as it has not started many such projects across Odisha where free land and funds have been provided by the state, the former MP said, adding “let BJP stop misleading and misguiding the people of Padampur.”

On Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar’s statament, Acharya said Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana is a central scheme. Just as Minimum Support Price (MSP) is a Central government responsibility, crop insurance is also a Central scheme. “The responsibility for providing Fasal Bima lies with the Centre,” he said.

Claiming that BJP was worried when the farmers of Padampur prevented their candidate from filing his nomination, he said the Centre then released the Fasal Bima. “We suggest that the Centre implement the Fasal Bima well and not mislead and misguide the farmers of Padampur,” Acharya added.