Bhubaneswar: Leader of Opposition (LoP) Naveen Patnaik on Monday took a dig at the BJP Government over the state budget 2024-25, terming it a name-changer budget, not a game-changer budget.
Participating in the budget discussion in the Assembly, LoP Naveen Patnaik said Congratulations to the new government on presenting its first budget and a special congratulations for repeating more than 80% of the schemes implemented by our government. More than 80% of your budget allocation, flows towards the schemes formulated by the BJD Government.
Naveen said, “The BJP formed the government by promising people that they will bring ‘PARIBARTAN’. After going through the budget documents, I see ‘PARIBARTAN’ or CHANGE’ – This government has changed the names of 45 schemes. BJP said their government will be a GAME CHANGER but unfortunately has ended up being a ‘NAME CHANGER’ and a Colour Changer “.
The LoP said that the budget saw 80% of our schemes being repeated. It shows the robustness, pro-people and progressive character of the schemes designed and implemented by the BJD government. The rest 20% resource allocation is what they will use to implement their manifesto promises to the people of Odisha, Naveen said.
“We have circulated a copy of BJP manifesto for ready reference. I will talk on 3 to 4 promises, sorry guarantees, out of many that they have made. Point 29 of the BJP manifesto promised Fifty thousand to pratyek mahila (every woman ) of Odisha under SUBHADRA scheme. More than 2 crore women are there in Odisha. Further, this was promised to be given in two years. You will need one lakh crore to fulfill this promise. You have kept only Ten thousand crore in this budget. This will cover less than ten percent women of Odisha. What about the rest One crore eighty lakh women?, Naveen questioned.
“BJP promised to increase pension to three thousand five hundred per month. There are about fifty lakh pensioners in the state, out of which hardly one lakh pensioners will benefit as per the budget allocation. You have mentioned in your budget that senior citizens over eighty years of age and persons with eighty percent or more disability will get the enhanced pension amount. What will happen to the rest fourty nine lakh pensioners between sixty to eighty years of age including widows, PWDs and distressed people? You need about twenty one thousand crores per year to fulfill this promise”, Naveen said.
He said, “BJP promised three thousand one hundred per quintal MSP for farmers. The allocation kept in the budget will not be adequate to cover even thirty percent farmers. How do you plan to cover the remaining lakhs of farmers of Odisha? BJP promised three hundred units of free electricity in campaign speeches. The Central Government has planned free electricity for One crore houses for the whole country. Odisha’s share may be three lakh houses. We have one and half crore houses in the state. Is this the free electricity you promised to the people? I challenge that in the next five years BJP won’t be able to cover even five percent of Odisha’s population under three hundred units of free BIJILI”. The way you projected the scheme in social media – people have been waiting for zero electricity bill from July. You have cheated the people of Odisha”.
He further said that BJP has promised twenty five lakh LAKHPATI DIDIs by the year 2027 – in three years. You will need about twenty thousand crores to implement this. You have allocated only One thousand crores for this. Let me on record demand that the list of “LAKHPATI DIDIs” be subsequently placed in this August house with all details.
“You (the BJP) promised a developed Odisha by the year 2036. I’ll give one example of your vision for developed Odisha. The budget document provides twenty crores for industrial corridor connecting Rourkela Sambalpur Paradip and Dhamra by June 2027. A corridor like this will not cost less than one lakh crores. Your party is known for “JUMLA”, but this is a cruel JOKE on the people of Odisha to whom you gave the dream of a developed Odisha”, he said.
“These are some of the major promises BJP made to win the elections. If you don’t fulfill the promises made to the people, your manifesto and acclaimed guarantee is a bunch of lies. I only hope and pray people don’t think that you won the election through lies and false dreams. This will not be good for our state and our people”, the LoP added.