BJD to showcase gains, highlight Centre’s ‘inefficiency’ in budget session
TNN | Feb 3, 2019, 22:56 ISTBhubaneswar: With the last budget session before the elections due to begin on Monday, the state government is all set to highlight its achievements and point out the Centre’s ‘failures’. The budget session will begin with an address by governor Ganeshi Lal. Finance minister Shashi Bhusan Behera will present the vote-on-account for the first four months of the 2019-20 fiscal on February 7.
Chief minister Naveen Patnaik chaired a meeting of BJD Legislature Party on the assembly premises on Sunday evening to discuss strategies for the session, which is scheduled to continue till February 12.
“We are looking forward to discussing what we have achieved in this term and the Centre’s failure to address inter-state disputes like Polavaram and the Mahanadi, and the substantial decrease in financial assistance from their side,” Naveen told reporters after the meeting.
Sources said the regional ruling party was planning to target the Centre over the reduction in the flow of funds as Naveen feared that Odisha was likely to face a fund cut of Rs 26,342 crore during the period of the 14th Finance Commission (2015-20).
The state government is also likely to move one or two legislations on February 11 because it is listed as the only official business day of the session.
In the session, the opposition parties are expected to raise issues such as farm distress, unemployment, crime against women, the deteriorating law and order situation in the state and chit fund scams to corner the government.
Briefing reporters after a meeting of Congress Legislature Party, MLA Anshuman Mohanty said farmers were under tremendous distress in the state. “In the assembly, we will raise the problems that farmers face. We demand price, prestige and pension for them in Odisha. Another issue that needs immediate attention is the rising number of crimes against women. All relevant issues will be brought up in the session,” said Mohanty.
The BJP, meanwhile, raised the topic of alleged mismanagement in paddy mandis across the state. “Farmers in Odisha are not getting their dues because of the government’s inefficiency. Reports of violence against women keep increasing. The government has to provide explanations on why it has not addressed such serious issues,” said party legislator Pradip Purohit.
Chief minister Naveen Patnaik chaired a meeting of BJD Legislature Party on the assembly premises on Sunday evening to discuss strategies for the session, which is scheduled to continue till February 12.
“We are looking forward to discussing what we have achieved in this term and the Centre’s failure to address inter-state disputes like Polavaram and the Mahanadi, and the substantial decrease in financial assistance from their side,” Naveen told reporters after the meeting.
Sources said the regional ruling party was planning to target the Centre over the reduction in the flow of funds as Naveen feared that Odisha was likely to face a fund cut of Rs 26,342 crore during the period of the 14th Finance Commission (2015-20).
The state government is also likely to move one or two legislations on February 11 because it is listed as the only official business day of the session.
In the session, the opposition parties are expected to raise issues such as farm distress, unemployment, crime against women, the deteriorating law and order situation in the state and chit fund scams to corner the government.
Briefing reporters after a meeting of Congress Legislature Party, MLA Anshuman Mohanty said farmers were under tremendous distress in the state. “In the assembly, we will raise the problems that farmers face. We demand price, prestige and pension for them in Odisha. Another issue that needs immediate attention is the rising number of crimes against women. All relevant issues will be brought up in the session,” said Mohanty.
The BJP, meanwhile, raised the topic of alleged mismanagement in paddy mandis across the state. “Farmers in Odisha are not getting their dues because of the government’s inefficiency. Reports of violence against women keep increasing. The government has to provide explanations on why it has not addressed such serious issues,” said party legislator Pradip Purohit.
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