BJD government misusing Central assistance: Pradhan

BHUBANESWAR/DHENKANAL: A day after accusing the Naveen Patnaik government of denying benefits to farmers under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) scheme, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday charged the ruling dispensation with misappropriating Central assistance.

Addressing a Krushak Samavesh at Dhenkanal, a farmers outreach programme of the BJP in the wake of massive outcry against the new farm laws, Pradhan said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has provided `60,000 crore to Odisha in last six years for the benefit of farmers. However, the money is not reaching the farmers as a major chunk of it is being gobbled up.

Coming down heavily on the Opposition parties for misleading the farmers on the new farm laws, Pradhan said that new laws are intended to double the income of farmers and to make them self-reliant under Prime Minister’s Atma Nirbhar Bharat initiative. 

“A sense of fear is being created in the minds of farmers that their land would be taken away by corporate houses and Minimum Support Price (MSP) of their products would be abolished,” he said, adding the MSP of paddy was revised to `1,867 per quintal by the Modi government, which is a 40 per cent increase since 2014.  

A failed Congress is instigating the farmers by feeding them with wrong information while BJD is extending moral support to the agitation in a subtle manner. They will not succeed as the farmers are well aware of the evil design of the opposition, Pradhan maintained. Alleging large scale irregularities in paddy procurement, Pradhan said tokens are issued to BJD supporters. There exists a nexus between BJD leaders and the millers and this has been affecting the farmers. 

He also attacked the State government on the Nayagarh minor rape and murder incident stating that more than 5,000 children who went missing from their homes are yet to be traced. Lashing out at Cooperation Minister Ranendra Pratap Swain, the Union Minister said the cooperative loan irregularities that have been levelled against the Swain’s brother is not confined to Athagarh only. Such irregularities are dime a dozen in Gondia, Pallahara and Athmallick areas of undivided Dhenkanal district. 

Pickpockets make hay, party members violate Covid norms at meet venue
Dhenkanal: The BJP Krushak Samavesh here saw at least 20 participants robbed off their wallets at the venue. Two persons have been detained in this connection. Town IIC Namita Nayak said while pickpockets made a cool Rs 53,000 at the venue, most of the victims were from Angul district. Besides Covid norms were violated with impunity with a majority of the participants neither wearing masks nor adhering to social distancing norms.