BJD MP dubs PM's Orissa visit as political

Bhubaneswar, Aug 27 (UNI) Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Parliamentary Party leader in Rajya Sabha Baijayant Panda today described Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's two-day Orissa visit as nothing but 'politics above governance.' Mr Panda told newsmen here it was shocking the Prime Minister would not be inspecting any of the flood-affected areas of Orissa during his two-day visit beginning tomorrow.

He further said it was more shocking that the Centre has not released a penny for flood relief works in Orissa despite the state government's appeal two weeks ago, while large sums had been released to other flood-affected states in the country.

The BJD MP said it was quite disappointing that the treasury bench members in Rajya Sabha disrupted the house on August 25 preventing the call attention motion on the KBK (Kalahandi, Bolangir and Koraput region of Orissa.).

The Prime Minister's closing speech for the session in the Rajya Sabha was also more disappointing when he tried to gloss over the issue on the reduction of the Revised Long Term Action Plan(RLTAP) funding for the KBK, he remarked.

Mr Panda also criticised the Centre's decision to equate KBK with 200 backward districts throughout the country including those in developed states like Punjab, Haryana and Karnataka to reduce the RLTAP funds.

The BJD MP hoped the Prime Minister would take note of the realities and correct his government's stance.

Meanwhile, BJP Yuva Morcha President Dharmendra Pradhan also sought a clarification from the Prime Minister on the reduction of the RLTAP fund for the KBK.

Mr Pradhan demanded the Prime Minister should announce central assistance for the flood-affected areas of Orissa. The state government, he said had sought an assistance of Rs 1100 crores but not a single money has been released by the Centre while states like Andhra Pradesh, Maharastra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh had been provided with central assistance.

UNI DP SP PA RK2225