BJP’s Central Neglect of Padampur and Odisha Continues Unabated: BJD

Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janata Dal has once again lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata party and the Center for its step motherly attitude towards Padampur and Odisha as a whole. Speaking to media persons, party spokesperson Dr Sasmit Patra has said that BJP has a long history of cheating the people of Odisha. From farmers to youth, railways to national highways, paddy procurement to rural housing, Telecom connectivity problems to Banking network problems, the BJP has been indulging in fake promises (Jumlas) and Cheating the people of Odisha.

He alleged that as regards Padampur Railway Line, in 2018, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan tweeted and said that Padampur Railway line has been sanctioned. It’s been four years but not a single brick has been laid. Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that give us land today, we will start the project tomorrow. But in 2019, his Ministry said in a letter that the project is not viable and should be shelved.

Whom is the BJP trying to hoodwink and cheat? The people of Padampur and Odisha? The BJP has always neglected the farmers of Odisha. The Centre blocked farmers crop insurance. After regular follow-up by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and facing the ire of the farmers, the Centre had to ask the insurance companies to pay the pending claims to the farmers. This proves that the Centre intentionally blocked the payment of crop insurance.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik wanted to help the farmers of Odisha by providing Rs. 200 crores as input subsidy which the BJP led Centre then stopped by quietly calling up the Election Commission and getting it blocked under the pretext of the Model Code of Conduct in Padampur. Unanimous resolution was passed in Odisha Assembly to increase the MSP of Paddy to Rs. 2930 but today the BJP is turning its face away from helping the farmers.
Centre has stopped lifting surplus parboiled rice from Odisha thereby causing unspeakable pain and anguish to lakhs of farmers in Padampur and Odisha. BJP spoke of doubling of farmers income. When will this happen or this is another Jumla asked Sasmit.

The BJP had said that MSP will be increased by 1.5 times. When will the Centre increase the MSP by 1.5 times of the C2 value of the Cost of production as proposed by Swaminathan Commission report recommendations? When will the Swaminathan Commission report be implemented? As regards the BJP’s neglect on Kendu Leaf Pluckers, its historic. It seems they feel that BJP feels that Kendu Leaf Pluckers are more rich than Diamond Merchants. Or else why would the BJP-led Centre have levied 18% GST on Kendu Leaf while on Diamonds its just 1.5%. This is shocking. For three years, Odisha has been demanding rural houses for the poor but the Centre has blocked it. These houses are mostly for the western and southern districts of Odisha, comprising mostly tribals. The BJP has cheated Odisha in Railways where they took 1 lakh crore from Odisha in five years, but gave less than 25%. Even today people have to climb down mountains and climb trees to get telecom network.

Sambalpur to Cuttack highway is a living example of the neglect of national highways by Centre apart from many others. Odisha has one of the lowest banking presence in the entire country. No banking facility is available in every GP of the State.

The BJD has further affirmed that on 5th December, 2022 the people of Padampur will give a befitting reply to the BJP for all these fake promises and cheating of the people of Odisha.