Balangir: The narration that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was going soft on the Naveen Patnaik Government ahead of the general elections gained further strength at his rally here on Tuesday, except that he hit out at the State Government for failing to utilise the District Mineral Fund (DMF) for the welfare of local Adivasis and the poor.
The attack on the Naveen Patnaik government that it has allegedly utilised “very less” out of Rs 4000 crore extended by the Centre was, however, the sharpest in recent times.
“What has happened to this government? Is it sleeping? This government should extend the full benefit of the development fund to local Adivasis and the poor for whom it is meant,” he said at the rally.
Modi, however, refrained from taking the name of the ruling party or the CM during his 50-minute-long speech as been the case in his earlier two rallies in Odisha.
The DMF created through an amendment to the Mines and Minerals Act in 2016 is intended at the development of tribal areas, where mining is carried out, but the Odisha government has failed to utilise it effectively, the PM said.
“Don’t wait till the elections, they will come and go, but think about the poor and their developments,” he added.
Amid increased speculation that he would contest from Puri Lok Sabha seat, Modi said ever since his government came to power at the Centre, Odisha has got a budgetary allocation of Rs 20,000 crore for various projects, which is five times more than the funds allocated by any other governments.
“Why should not you take pride of this fact,” he thundered at the rally, invoking the pride of the local leaders and the rich culture and heritage that Balangir and western Odisha boasts off.
Inaugurated the Balangir-Bichupalli 19 km new route, the PM said his government has focus on improving air and rail connectivity in the state and is three times ahead of previous governments in laying rail tracks. He also flagged off a passenger train on the section. This route is part of the Khurda-Balangir rail corridor. But Modi remained silent about the slackness with which work on the corridor is progressing.
He said the route will not only bring economic benefit to the region but also allow direct connectivity to people from places such as Bhubaneswar, Howrah and Chennai.
Asserting that his government is committed to pro-poor policies, he said through proactive steps his government has eliminated 6 crore bogus ration cards, saving Rs 90,000 crore which was being swindled away by the middlemen.
“I have created enemies with such firm actions, but I am confident that with your blessings, I will go ahead in my mission to help the poor get what is rightfully theirs,” he said.
Modi also took a dig at the opposition for trying to cobble up an alliance to stop him from coming back to power.
Odisha, he said, has rich legacy and the Sun Temple at Konark has provided the first ray of the morning to the rest of the country. It’s a land rich in culture, heritage, ancient temples and monuments.
The PM said that while previous governments have neglected them, his government has taken up on itself the cudgels of restoring and preserving the monuments.
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