BJP to raise BJD’s ‘non-cooperation’

BHUBANESWAR:The BJP Legislature Party on Monday decided to take an aggressive posture against the ruling BJD in the monsoon session of the Assembly for its failure to deliver on Central schemes and refusal to implement Ayushman Bharat, the flagship healthcare programme of the Narendra Modi Government.

Accusing the State Government of hijacking all Central schemes and rebranding them as its own, the BJP said it will expose the poor performance of BJD in key areas like health, agriculture, food security, rural electrification and sanitation where financial contribution from the Centre is significant.

“Non-performance of the State Government and its non-cooperation to the Centre will be the major issue during this session,” said BJP MLA Pradip Purohit.

Upping the ante against BJD for rejecting Ayushman Bharat National Health Protection Mission and implementing Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana instead, the BJP has planned to corner the State Government as a large number of people working outside Odisha would be deprived of healthcare benefits of the Central scheme..

With about 30 lakh households still not covered under Soubhagya scheme which aims to provide free electricity connection, the State Government will have a tough time to explain the delay in implementation of the programme despite full Central assistance.

Purohit said the recent letter of Odisha State Food Commission to the State Government pointing that over 7000 tribal families of 119 tribal sub-plan areas are not beneficiaries of the National Food Security Act (NFSA), will come handy for the party to embarrass the Government.

A meeting of the BJP Legislature Party chaired by its leader KV Singhdeo also decided to raise the controversial ‘Ama Gao Ama Bikash’ programme which is only benefiting the ruling party workers.