BARGARH:Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday hit out at the BJD Government for neglecting the rural people, particularly the farmers, during its 18-year rule in the State.
Launching the BJP campaign for by-election to Bijepur Assembly constituency, Pradhan said the people of Bijepur do not have faith in Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. The Union Minister, who held public meetings at 10 places across the constituency, began the campaign from Guderpali village.
Pradhan said even after remaining in power for 18 years, the BJD Government has failed to provide water for irrigation and domestic consumption in Bijepur. While the State Government did not make any irrigation facility for the farmers all these years, it announced `1200 crore Gangadhar Meher lift canal system keeping an eye only on the by-election. As a result, the farmers of the drought-prone Bijepur have been facing extreme hardship.
Comparing the failure of State Government to welfare measures of NDA Government at the Centre, Pradhan said the farmers will get minimum support price (MSP) of paddy at 1.5 times of the production cost from the coming kharif season. The Union Government will also cover 50 crore people under Ayushman scheme and they will get health insurance benefit, he added. He appealed to the people to vote for BJP considering the good governance and development measures being carried out by the Modi Government.
Raising the Kunduli suicide case and custodial death of tribal youth in Ainthapali police station in Sambalpur, Pradhan said atrocity on tribals has been increasing as the Government has failed to take any remedial measures. The people of Bijepur rejected Naveen Patnaik in the last three consecutive elections and the trend will be repeated in the by-election also, he claimed.
Apart from Guderpali, Pradhan attended public meetings at Bhatigaon, Badipali, Kanpuri, Talpadar, M Sirgida, Bandupali Barmunda, Jaring and Manpur in the constituency.State BJP president Basant Panda, senior BJP leader KV Singhdeo, Padampur MLA Pradip Purohit, BJP state vice-president Ashwini Sarangi and BJP candidate for the by-election Ashok Panigrahi accompanied Pradhan at the public meetings.