Bhubaneswar: A day after the BJP announced several poll sops including provision of land records (pattas), jobs to youths and pucca houses while urging people to vote for the party in the upcoming polls, senior BJD leader Sanjay Das Burma today came down heavily on the saffron party and said that their promises are the only means to hoodwink the public.
"Before coming to power in 2014, the BJP made several poll promises like Special Category status to Odisha, generation of 2 crore jobs, disbursement of Rs 15 lakh to bank account of each beneficiary, 1.5 times hike in MSP of paddy, but it has failed to deliver," Das Burma alleged.
The BJD leader accused that instead of fulfilling its promises, the saffron party has always deceived the people of the State.
Apart from raising the issues like Polavaram, Coastal Highway project, Das Burma alleged that BJP-led NDA government at the Centre has stopped funding at least eight schemes in Odisha since 2015-16 and changed funding pattern of several other centrally sponsored schemes.
"If we count the promises that the BJP made about creating jobs, then in last four-and-half-years of rule, around 36 lakh Odia youths should have got employment. But it has not happened," he said.
During the ‘Pratisruti Samabesh’ in Bhubaneswar yesterday, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had said that BJP will provide necessary facilities including pattas, pucca houses, drinking water, toilets, electricity and LPG connections among others to people in Odisha.
Pradhan had assured that if voted to power in Odisha, BJP will fulfill the dream of PM Narendra Modi.
Countering Das Burma's comments, BJP leader Golak Mohapatra today said, "Odisha government should first of all look into details of the central assistance provided by the BJP-led NDA government to the State. As per the report which must be present with Odisha Finance Department, by 2017, around 85 lakh people have availed loans under the MUDRA scheme to get self employment."
"This apart, after re-categorizing 33 schemes and cancelling 8 Central schemes, the Union government has still released an excess of Rs 1,516 crore for Odisha which is a significant matter. So instead of not giving the exact details, the State government is trying to fool the people of Odisha," alleged Mohapatra.