BJP Hauls BJD Over Coals Alleging Negligence Towards Tribal Development

The Odisha unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday accused the ruling Biju Janata Dal of badly failing in ensuring basic amenities like education, health, drinking water, road communication and law and order to the tribal communities in the State. 

Addressing a press conference in Bhubaneswar, State BJP general secretary Lekhashree Samantasinghar said water (jal), forest (jungle) and land (jami) of people from scheduled tribes (ST) have always been under threat due to the negligence of the State government. 

Hitting out at the BJD dispensation, Samantasinghar said the Panchayat (Extension of the Scheduled Areas) Act, or PESA has been in place since 1996. Despite that, the State government still has its control on the areas inhabited by scheduled tribes. But it has not been providing basic constitutional rights to the people living there. 

“The Central government meanwhile has been giving top priority to the development of scheduled tribes in Odisha. Raising the budgetary allocations for the development of ST communities and giving ministerial berth to a tribal leader from the State shows the Centre's commitment towards the cause,” said Samantasinghar. 

“While the Centre has hiked the allocation for the ST people by four times since 2014, the same for scholarships to the students and Ekalavya School have also been increased twice and five times. But surprisingly, a fund of over Rs 16,000 crore is lying unutilised in the District Mineral Foundation (DMF) fund. The State government’s indifferent attitude to their development has defeated the purpose,” rued Samantasinghar. 

On the other hand, neither the State government nor the BJD has come up with any reaction over the allegations of the BJP.