Naveen's rice at Rs two per kg a political stunt-Congress

Bhubaneswar, Aug 01 (UNI) The Congress in Orissa today dubbed Chief Minister Naveeen Patnaik's much hyped rice at Rs two per kg to the BPL families in the state as a ''political stunt''.

Talking to newspersons here, Mr Jena said the scheme to be launched in the state tomorrow was aimed at wooing the voters in the coming Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.

The Congress leader said his government during 1980s first introduced the scheme but the BJD-BJP government after coming to power abolished it.

Mr Jena said during the past eight-year tenure the BJD-BJP Government, led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, had turned Orissa into the poorest state in the country.

He asked the Chief Minister what debarred him from launching the scheme during the past eight-year tenure. All this had been done to capture the vote bank as the government had failed in all fronts, Mr Jena remarked.

The PCC chief said as part of all India programme the party would organise the ''Jana Jagaran Samavesh'' across the state from August 16 next to apprise the people the benefit of the nuke deal and the various achievement of the UPA government.

He said the party would organise training programmes and expose the failure of the Naveen Patnaik Government in all fronts. The Jan Jagaran Samavesh to be held in phases,would be concluded in Bhubaneswar in September next and party president Sonia Gandhi would be requested to grace the occasion, Mr Jena said.

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