BJP ‘charge sheet’ accuses BJD govt of rampant corruption

Bhubaneswar : Ahead of elections to the Odisha Assembly and Lok Sabha, the BJP on Wednesday unveiled a ‘charge sheet’ against the nearly 25-year-old BJD government in the State, accusing it of being involved in corruption and irregularities.

Senior BJP leader and Union minister Bhupender Yadav released the 50-page ‘charge sheet’ and alleged that the BJD could not provide drinking water supply, set up more cold storages and increase farmers’ income despite ruling the State for over two decades. “The ruling party has failed miserably in making the State safe for women. The rise in the number of missing children is another area of concern,” the Union minister said.

The Naveen Patnaik government has also failed to achieve its promised target of providing irrigation facilities to 35 per cent of land in every block of the State, Yadav claimed. He also alleged that it could not set up cold storages in all 314 blocks of Odisha.

The higher education system in the State is in a deplorable state as more than 4,300 posts of lecturers are lying vacant, he said. Similarly, he claimed, more than 6,400 villages, most of which are in tribal areas, are yet to get road connectivity.

The BJP leader further said that the BJD government has failed to provide employment to the youths and because of that, people migrated to Mumbai, Gujarat and Chennai in search of livelihood. Over 40,000 labourers have moved out of Odisha in the past year, he said.

The BJP leader said the authorities are selling power produced in Odisha to Tamil Nadu at Rs 2.53 per unit whereas the people of Odisha are paying Rs 2.83 per unit.

Reacting to the charge sheet of the BJP, senior BJD leader Swarup Das said the State government has taken several measures for the empowerment of women, farmers and youths. The government has provided assistance to ration card holders, interest-free loans to women SHGs, scholarships to college students and subsidies to farmers. Through these initiatives, the income of people has been increased, he claimed.

The BJD leader said the people of Odisha will reject the charge sheet and give a befitting reply to the BJP in the upcoming elections.