Even as the Biju Janata Dal prepares to hold a massive rally in New Delhi on Wednesday demanding special category State status to Odisha, the Congress on Tuesday raised the pitch against the State Government accusing it of misutilisation of Central funds as well as non-expenditure.
A delegation from the State Congress, led by Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Jaydev Jena, submitted a memorandum to Governor S C Jamir demanding a CBI probe into the misutilisation of Central funds.
The BJD Government, under Naveen Patnaik, has devised a novel strategy to orchestrate the issue of Central apathy to cover up its glaring performance failure, the memorandum said and added that the bogey of Central neglect has become an obsessive political agenda.
Faced with the chit fund scam involving loot of about Rs 20,000 crore , the ruling BJD is raising the issue of special category status for Odisha knowing fully well that the Centre is seized of the matter, it said and demanded a CBI probe into the scam.
The Congress also demanded a CBI probe into the misutilisation and misappropriation of Central funds.
The State Government has shied away from meeting the challenge of the Congress for tabling a white paper on receipt and utilisation of Central assistance released by UPA-I and UPA-II vis-a-vis the NDA, it said.
The memorandum demanded review of implementation of various economic policies and programmes in tribal areas by the Governor as mandated by schedule-V of the Constitution and immediate return of 10 kg of rice to all entitled BPL families.
Addressing a demonstration in front of Raj Bhavan on Tuesday, Jena said though the Centre released assistance generously during the UPA tenure, the State Government has failed to utilise it properly. Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh asked what prevented the Chief Minister from raising the demand for special category State status for Odisha when he was a Union minister or when the NDA was in power.