No Deal with BJP, Says Naveen

CM rejects Cong allegation that there is a deal between BJD in State and BJP at Centre

BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday rejected the Congress allegation that there is a deal between the BJD Government in State and BJP-led NDA Government at the Centre resulting in regional party’s silence towards major cuts in allocation for different projects.

“Absolutely untruthful and incorrect. Certainly, there is no deal with BJP. We expect all support from Central Government for development of the State,” Naveen told mediapersons on his return to State after a week-long visit to New Delhi.

Naveen, who is also the BJD president, said this in response to the allegation made by Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra of Congress. Earlier, Union Minister and BJP leader Dharmendra Pradhan had also refuted the allegation made by the Congress. He had, however, said State Government and the Centre have been cooperating with each other for development of Odisha.

Mishra, while addressing a press conference here on May 7, had raised question on the Chief Minister’s ‘mysterious silence’ over reduced Central allocation to Odisha while he had made ‘wild’ allegations of negligence despite enormous amount of assistance to implement all the Central schemes in Odisha throughout the tenure of UPA rule at the Centre.

The Chief Minister also hoped that Posco-India will not withdraw from the proposed steel project. “I do not think so. State Government is trying hard to see that the project is set up in Odisha,” Naveen said replying to a question on the possibility of Posco withdrawing from the Odisha project.

On the controversy surrounding the remark given by Director General of Police (DGP) Sanjeev Marik over the Centre discontinuing assistance for modernisation of police forces, Naveen said he will look into the matter.

The Chief Minister met Union Health Minister JP Nadda and Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh during his New Delhi visit and expressed concern over the drastic cut in allocations for different schemes.

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