BHUBANESWAR: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) gave a call for Odisha bandh on April 26 to protest against the step-motherly attitude of the Centre towards the State, the latest instance being the paltry allocation of funds under the Backward Region Grant Fund (BRGF).
Announcing this at a media conference here on Saturday, Finance Minister Prasanna Acharya, Health and Family Welfare Minister Damodar Rout, Biju Mahila Janata Dal (BMJD) president Pramila Mallik and Biju Yuva Janata Dal (BYJD) president Sanjay Dasburma said the party will stage a dharna in front of the Raj Bhavan on April 22 to protest against the continuous discrimination of Odisha by the Centre.
Dasburma said demonstrations will be held at district, sub-division and block headquarters towns on April 23 against the decision of the Centre to allocate only Rs 1,250 crore for Odisha under BRGF, while announcing a special package of Rs 12,000 crore for Bihar.
Besides, resolutions will be passed by gram panchayats, panchayat samities, zilla parishads, corporations, municipalities and notified area councils (NACs) demanding special category status for Odisha. A memorandum with one crore signature from the State will be submitted to the President to press for the demand, he said.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik criticised the Centre for neglecting the State on political considerations. “It is most unfortunate that the Centre is discriminating against Odisha on political considerations. This is a clear case of negligence of our State once again,” Naveen said.
The Finance Minister alleged that the State is going to lose over Rs 2,000 crore in the plan and non-plan sectors because of the budget cuts effected by the Centre and Rs 5,000 crore as per the recommendations of the Thirteenth Finance Commission (TFC).
Describing these cuts as politically motivated, Acharya criticised the Centre for taking such decisions for prolonging the tenure of the UPA. |
