Bhubaneswar: The State BJP today alleged large scale corruption in the implementation of the central flagship livelihood scheme-Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) in Odisha.
While coming down heavily on the Odisha government for failing to provide jobs to rural youths under the central programme, BJP State general secretary Lekhashree Samantsinghar said that the State government had claimed to have provided employment to 97198 youths even as only 31000 educated youths have undergone training.
She alleged a corruption amounting to Rs 568 crore in the central scheme in Odisha and said, “The CAG, in his report, showed that 77% data provided by the State are false and fabricated.”
“The Panchayati Raj department in the State has utterly failed to provide jobs to the skilled youths under the Central flagship programme. A huge amount of central funds have also been siphoned off in the name of providing employment, and it’s clear from the CAG report,” Samantsinghar said.
She further alleged that the government had awarded 95 agencies to provide employment out of which 26 agencies fled away after receiving the first installment money from the State government. Moreover, four undeserved agencies were given Rs 76 crore for employment programme.
The BJP leader directly lambasted the Panhayati Raj minister Pratap Jena and his secretary for the massive irregularities. “The principal secretary of the Panhayati Raj department DK Singh has major role in the massive scam. Even being embroiled in many corruption cases, he continues to remain in the same position for eight years,” she alleged.
Samantsinghar said the entire scam has taken place at the behest of the minister and the secretary and demanded an investigation by the CBI to unearth the scam.