Congress dubs Naveen's announcement as political gimmick

Bhubaneswar, Sep 21 (UNI) Leader of Opposition in Orissa Assembly J B Pattnaik today dubbed the series of assistance announced by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik as ''political gimmick'' aimed at the ensuing Panchayat elections in the state.

The senior congress leader told newspersons here that without any budgetary provision, the Chief Minister had announced Rs 600 crore grant for KBK Plan, Rs 600 crore for Gopabandhu Gramin Yojana and another Rs 350 crore as flood assistance from the state exchequer.

He demanded the Chief Minister to clarify from where he would arrange the funds to fulfill his promises to the people when the Orissa government was not able to meet the matching share money to implement the central sponsored scheme in the state.

The former Chief Minister said the debt burden which stood at Rs 18,000 crore by 2000 had gone up to Rs.40,000 crore by this year during the tenure of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

He said the Chief Minister had deliberately made the announcement keeping in view of the Panchayat elections in the state adding the general public had the right to know from where the government would bring the fund to meet the expenses.

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