BHUBANESWAR: Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday dispelled apprehensions of the State Government on reduced allocation from the Centre to Odisha. The anxiety in certain quarters that the State will not get its due share from the Union Budget 2019-20 is unfounded as the finer prints of the Budget are yet to be made public. Those speculating that Odisha will get far less than what it has projected in the State’s Budget for the current fiscal are trying to project themselves as economists, Pradhan told reporters after reaching here from New Delhi.
Asserting that the State will get a lion’s share from all the schemes of the Centre, the Union Minister said Odisha is a focus State of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The State will continue to get special attention of the Centre and will hugely benefit from all infrastructure and welfare programmes of the Central Government.
While lauding the Union Budget, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has expressed concern over reduced budgetary allocation under flagship programmes like MGNREGS and welfare schemes meant for scheduled categories. Pradhan, however, praised the Chief Minister for appreciating the Budget.
To the Congress criticism on Polavarma project, Pradhan said the party has no moral right to point finger at others as it is responsible for the current situation. It was Congress-led UPA Government which had given permission to Andhra Pradesh for construction of the project in 2005. The party needs to introspect the damage it has done to Odisha.
Responding to opposition criticism on hike in petrol and diesel prices, the Union Minister said resource mobilisation is a priority of the Centre for the overall development of the country. As prices of fossil fuel is taking a dip in the international market, the Union Government has taken advantage by mobilising more resources from the petroleum sector.
Coming down heavily on the Centre for increasing taxes on fuel, senior Congress leader Suresh Kumar Routray said hike on auto fuel and construction materials will hit all sections of the people, he said and added that his party will strongly oppose the price hike. On Patkura election, Pradhan said BJP candidate Bijoy Mohapatra will be the winner. People of Patkura have made up their mind to vote for him.