Bhubaneswar, 07th June, 2016: Referencing the assaults from opposing BJP, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik called for a press conference, yesterday afternoon, at Odisha State Secretariat.
It seemed that Prime Minister Narender Modi’s questioning on the BJD government’s transparency and lucidity provoked the State Government to analyze their performance and make it public. The Prime Minister in support of BJP had questioned the State Government if it had ever attempted to come and show their balance sheet. “It is only BJP government that has come all the way from Delhi in order to show its report card,” Modi had said.
In the counterstrike, addressing the press, the CM said, “I have been reviewing the achievements of Departments. I am happy with the overall progress made. We are definitely moving towards achieving our promises. I am happy to note that most of the departments have done exceedingly well, in some areas we have to improve. We are the only State in the country to adopt the manifesto as the agenda for governance on the day we assumed office.”
“Most of the Central Government Schemes which used to be in the 90:10 sharing pattern have been changed to 60:40 or 50:50. This change in fund sharing will benefit developed states and deprive the not so developed Eastern states like Odisha,” said BJD party Suprimo Naveen Patnaik.
Also pointing the figure at the Centre the Chief Minister said that the rising trend of cess and surcharges further deprive our State from the due share in Central taxes. The service tax which was 12.36% in 2014 has now effectively become 15%. This will further increase prices, putting a heavy burden on the common man.
The CM also highlighted few of the performances of his Government over the past years which were:
- Creating a national record in providing shelter, security to more than a million households will cross the 2.3 million targets soon.
- Commissioning of mega lifts and other efforts which led to the creation of 3 lakh hectares of additional irrigation. Substantially increase on investment in irrigation and eventually moving towards the target of one million hectares of capacity addition.
- Effective rate of interest to 1% for crop loans to benefit small and medium farmers.
- Electrification of 11.5 lakh households including 3 lakh BPL families.
- Development of hundred Odisha Adarsh Vidyalayas and more than 30,000 children from rural areas from some of the most backward blocks have been enrolled in this quality education initiative.
- In spite of stoppage of funds by the Union Government, gone ahead with the construction of 6 new medical colleges.
- Success of NIRAMAYA – a unique free medicine distribution scheme