Deal between BJP and BJD to save leaders: Congress

Bhubaneswar, May 7: Congress today alleged there was a deal between BJD and BJP to save ruling party leaders in Odisha from various scams and that it was evident from the "mysterious silence" of Naveen Patnaik Government even after eight vital schemes were delinked from central aid.

"Surprisingly, though eight vital schemes are now delinked from central assistance and in 33 schemes central funding is squeezed badly, ruling BJD in Odisha is maintainig mysterious silence," Congress stalwart and Leader of Opposition in Assembly Narasingha Mishra told reporters.

"The same BJD government was making wild allegations of central negligence despite enormous amount of assistance to implement all the central schemes in Odisha throughout the tenure of the UPA rule at the centre," he said.

Stating that the BJP-led NDA government has also reduced the kerosene quota for the state drastically and made sharp increase in petrol and diesel from time to time, Mishra said Naveen government is not protesting at all.

When UPA was in power it was a political plank with BJD to create all sorts of nuisance like burning of effigies and giving bandh calls alleging central negligence, he said.

Maintaining that due to delinking of central assistance in respect of eight schemes socio-economic sectors of the state would be seriously affected, the Congress leader said it would also put heavy financial burden on the state exchequer to execute these schemes out of its own fund.

Alleging that the chief minister visited Delhi during last assembly session and had a meeting with the prime minister, Mishra said there is reasonable ground to believe that a secret deal had been struck as subsequent developments like probe in chitgate made it amply clear.

"All these give an impression that BJD joined hands with BJP government at the Centre not as equals to protect the interest of the state but to save their leader and some members of BJD from the serious consequenses of various scams in which they are embroilled," he claimed.

The Congeres leader also slammed Naveen Government accusing it of not preparing any alternative arrangement after delinking of eight centrally aided schemes including Backward Regions Grant Funds (BGRF).

PTI