Padampur: Narendra Modi has been at the forefront of Odisha’s development despite BJD being in power in the state, BJP national president J P Nadda said at a election rally at Padampur in Odisha’s Bargarh.
“I don’t know how much Naveen Patnaik Ji loves Odisha but Modi Ji has always been ensuring development of the state. He increased the grant-in-aid for the state by three times and also established a permanent campus of IIM at Sambalpur. Similarly, the allocation in railway budget for Odisha was increased by 12 times and 4300 km national highway was laid in the state. The third railway line connecting Manoharpur-Rourkela-Jharsuguda-Jamga is a work under progress. These are development milestones,” Nadda said, adding Jharsuguda airport to the list.
He claimed that nearly 68 lakh families were deprived of Rs 5 lakh health cover due to non-implementation of the Ayushman Bharat scheme in Odisha. “It would have helped Odias living outside Odisha but Naveen Patnaik did not like this health cover being given by PM Modi and kept harping on Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojna.”
He added that 15 lakh families in Bargarh alone have benefited from Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana which provides 5 kg of rice or wheat per person and 1 kg of dal to each family holding a ration card. “Under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, about 11.78 crore farmers, including those in Odisha, are getting Rs 6,000 annually.”
The BJP chief further said that people have voted for one person, but the government is bring run by another in Odisha. “Do you need such a government? Officials are running the government here while MLAs have been made redundant. Do MLAs wield any power in the state? There is only one person who is taking the stage here and there no place for the MPs and the MLAs. Do you get to meet your CM? Does he speak to you in Odia?” he asked the gathering.
Nadda said that people of Odisha are looking for a CM, who is young, who is from Odisha, speaks Odia and who can oversee the administration on a daily basis. “Odia asmita is at stake. The CM should be aware of the state’s culture and tradition and uphold its pride. Under the Biju Janata Dal corruption has risen…They have done corruption of crores of rupees. Will you let these people come to power again?…It is the time to bless BJP party and help it form the government in Odisha,” he said, adding that by pressing on Lotus they can usher in development.
He said that the country has witnessed unprecedented development under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Everyone had accepted that nothing would change in the country. But after Modi Ji came to power in 2014, Bharat started embracing transformation. The able leadership of Modi Ji made everyone believe that India would become a developed nation by 2047.”
The BJP chief also praised Modi for growth-centric politics. “Before 2014, politics was all about vote-bank, ‘divide and rule’ and appeasement. But today, the culture of politics in the country has been completely changed. It has now become politics of performance and politics of ‘Report Card’,” he added.
