‘Announce Rs 1L cr for Odisha irrigation’

| | BHUBANESWAR | in Bhubaneswar

PCC president Niranjan Patnaik on Wednesday demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi announce a special package of Rs  one lakh crore for construction of irrigation projects in Odisha and tender an apology for the “illegal and arbitrary actions” of the Chhattisgarh Government in blocking free flow of water in the Mahanadi.

Patnaik made these demands at a press conference held at the Congress Bhavan here. He said the Prime Minister should make these announcements at his Cuttack meeting.

He too demanded that the Prime Minister must ask the Chhattisgarh Government to open gates of Kalma barrage and release adequate water for people of Odisha well before his Odisha visit.

Terming the Modid Government as a "regime of lies", he said, “Let Modi announces at Cuttack a stoppage to all constructions till the arbitration process is completed. Let him order immediate  release of water that has been illegally stopped by Chhattisgarh.”

Alleging that the BJD Government failed to protect Odisha's interest, he added, “It is the job of the Prime Minister to behave like a statesman and not to punish the people of Odisha for the inefficiency of the BJD Government.”

Besides, he demanded that Modi announce a special package of Rs one lakh crore in three years for construction of irrigation projects in Odisha.

Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly Narasingha Mishra said  PM Modi had promised a world to India, but he has been able to spread lies across the nation. His claims have been exposed during the last four years,” he said.

Mishra said Modi has failed to keep his promises of providing jobs to two crores of people every year and  Rs 15 lakh in each citizen’s bank account.

“In reality, the Modi Government had delivered 1.35 lakh jobs only,” Mishra said and wanted to know how much of black money was brought back from abroad during the last four years by him.

He said the Prime Minister should tender an apology for the illegal and arbitrary construction of barrages upstream Mahanadi in Chhattisgarh.