BJP harps on development agenda in Odisha

BHUBANESWAR: With Pipili by-poll drawing nearer, the BJP has intensified its campaign and attack on the ruling BJD by taking development agenda to the people. In a bid to cut into the sympathy vote of BJD candidate Rudra Pratap Maharathy, the BJP leaders campaigning for party nominee Ashrit Pattanayak have been harping on poor development of the constituency which is hardly 25 km away from the State Capital. 

The by-poll has given an opportunity to the BJP to rake up the miseries of the people affected by cyclone Fani two years ago. The saffron party is highlighting how insensitive is the BJD government to the plight of the people who are still using polythene as roof of their homes even after two years of the calamity that robbed of their house and livelihood.

Expressing his anguish over denial of financial compensation meant for the victims of the cyclone that devastated several coastal districts in May 2019, BJP national vice-president Baijayant Panda on Sunday lambasted the State government for denying their rightful due. “It is very painful to see people of Pipili still using polythene as roof of their home and the beneficiaries are yet to get financial assistance from the government,” Panda said after visiting several Fani-ravaged houses. 

“It is really sad to see that the Central assistance has not yet reached to the beneficiaries. The Centre had made special allocation of funds for construction of houses for the affected families under Pradhan Mantri  Awas Yojana (PMAY) but the assistance is still eluding them,” he added.What is more galling is that most of the beneficiaries complained that their request for housing assistance did not materialise as they could not meet the bribe demand of the BJD functionaries and local authorities.