BJP smells rat in special gram sabha under garb of Hockey World Cup

BHUBANESWAR: BJP on Wednesday hit out at the state government alleging it is spending money meant for development works in panchayat for promotion of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik ahead of the 2024 elections to Assembly and Lok Sabha.

Taking exception to government instruction to collectors, chief development officers of zilla parishads and block development officers for convening special gram sabha in all GPs on the inaugural day of the Hockey World Cup, state BJP general secretary Prithiviraj Harichandan said the real motive is to get its approval of the graam sabha to the revised list of beneficiaries under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana pending publication since 2019.

“It is a matter of pride for Odisha to host an international sporting event. But our objection is to project the shaky image of this government under the garb of hockey World Cup,” Harichandan said.When panchayats are facing fund constraints for development works, he said, the government has allowed them to spend up to `30,000 out of State Finance Commission grant or own source of revenue on activities like live telecast of opening ceremony by hiring projector screen or TV sets, flex print of the event with picture of the CM at prominent locations.

Harichandan quoted the circular and said the photo of the chief minister is towering over the hockey logo, sample of which was attached with the government order.He said special gram sabha met thrice a year - on January 26, August 15 and October 2 - to discuss important issues of panchayats and giving approval to list of beneficiaries selected under housing schemes.

“We have information that instruction has been issued to all panchayats to get the assent of the gram sabha to the revised list of PMAY beneficiaries which is not published since 2019,” he said.BJP has been demanding that the beneficiaries list should be pasted on the wall of all panchayat offices for public view seeking suggestions and objection before it was approved by gram sabha.

Any deviation from the normal practice will be strongly opposed and his party will be forced to take recourse to gherao all block offices, he cautioned.