Fight over KALIA: BJP hits out at Naveen govt, calls it a ‘propagandist scheme’

Bhubaneswar: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today came down on Odisha government for blaming it over stalling of Kalia fund disbursements. Alleging that the much touted scheme is a ‘propagandist’ scheme of Naveen government to fool people, Union Minister Dharmedra Pradhan said the scheme will prove a bane for the BJD government.

Answering media on BJD allegations that the BJP is behind stalling of the scheme when their own PM Kisan is still on, Pradhan clarified that the PM-KISAN Yojana of the Central government has a budgetary allocation and beneficiary list provided by state governments while the Odisha government failed to provide any answer to CEO on whether any budgetary provision is there for KAILA scheme and if a beneficiaries list exists.

“KALIA scheme of the ruling BJD is only for party propaganda. Farmers of the states that give list of beneficiaries get benefits of PM-KISAN Yojana. But the Odisha government is yet to submit the list. As per media reports, the first phase list of KALIA scheme had the names of government officials and BJD ministers like Bikram Arukha, Niranjan Pujari and Susant Singh. So, out of fear, the State government stopped releasing beneficiaries’ list,” alleged Pradhan.

KALIA will prove a canker for the BJD, Pradhan asserted after coming out of CEO office. His response came after a BJD delegation led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today met the CEO here and lodged a complaint protesting the EC decision to stop disbursement of funds to farmers under the KALIA scheme in the name of model code of conduct being in force.

"It is unfortunate that they (ECI) have not stopped the agricultural scheme of the Central government. I had come to see the CEO about (lodging) a strong complaint of the election office stopping our government’s KALIA scheme for the farmers," Patnaik said to media.

Patnaik further justified his protest and said that the scheme is important for farmers particularly during this season when they require those funds. "I am disappointed that BJP complained to the EC about the KALIA scheme," he said, adding that farmers of the State will give the saffron party a befitting reply.

Pradhan also met the CEO with a BJP delegation to apprise him of ‘dirty tricks’ being played by the BJD. “We had come to complain about the BJD’s goondaism as we all have been facing it in most parts of the state while electioneering. The latest example is my Chikiti visit. As far as I know, the BJD is threatening the government officials of Ganjam, Koraput, Rayagada, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi and Nuapara districts… Government employees have already revolted and they are no longer supporting the State government in its misdeeds.”