WODC objective stands defeated: Narasingha

BHUBANESWAR: With the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) questioning the wisdom of the Western Odisha Development Council (WODC) in spending limited but valuable resources in non-priority areas and channelling more funds to developed areas, the Opposition said the premier audit agency has exposed the misdeeds of the BJD government.

Senior Congress leader Narasingha Mishra said he has been raising the same issue in the Assembly time and again but the government is not listening.“What is shocking is that without spending, funds utilisation certificates (UCs) have been submitted to the Centre. I had pointed out on several occasions that the WODC fund is not being utilised in accordance with the law. Now the CAG has said the same thing in details,” Mishra said.

With CAG pointing out that more funds are pumped into blocks and districts which are more developed, Mishra said the very purpose of the WODC Act is defeated.“The sum and substance of the CAG report is that the WODC is carrying coals to Newcastle,” he remarked.

The leader of the Congress legislature party said the very purpose of creating WODC is to remove regional imbalance. The CAG has said the present way of functioning of the council is highly objectionable and it can’t achieve its purpose.

Since the audit agency has exposed the misdeeds of the government, the matter will be raised in the next session of the Assembly and this will be taken up in the meeting of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
President of the state BJP Krushak Morcha and Former MLA Pradip Purohit said the CAG has exposed how the ruling BJD has been misutilising the WODC funds in the last 20 years.

He said the audit report has also revealed how the council fund is given to some private organisation having close links with the BJD.Purohit urged the Chief Minister to give full autonomy to the council and enhance the grant-in-aid from `100 crore to `1000 crore if his government is really serious about the development of backward western Odisha districts. 

Established on November 11, 1998, the objective of WODC was to bring accelerated development of people in 10 backward districts of western part of the State.