Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan attacks Odisha government for failing to bring progress

BHUBANESWAR: Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday attacked the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government in the State for failing to "achieve desired progress and development despite liberal assistance from the Centre".

Speaking at 'Garib Kalyan Sammilani' organised at Podamarai under Mahanga Assembly constituency as part of countrywide meetings to mark the eighth year completion of Narendra Modi government at the Centre, Pradhan said the huge financial assistance coming from the Centre for infrastructure development and welfare measures in the State are being siphoned off and the major beneficiaries are BJD workers.

Pradhan also targeted the State government for denying the people the benefit of health welfare programmes like Ayushman Bharat. The intolerance of the BJD to the growing popularity of Modi has resulted in political violence, he alleged.

The murder of Kulamani Baral and his associate Dibya Singh Baral two years ago is an act of desperation by the ruling party to silence its opponents. "The sacrifice of the two BJP leaders will not go waste," he said.

Pradhan exhorted party workers to take the pledge to work tirelessly to take all the welfare measures of the government to the doorsteps of the beneficiaries. "Immense work has been done in the last eight years for women, tribals, dalits and underprivileged as our government under PM Modi’s leadership dedicated itself to people’s welfare," he said.