BHUBANESWAR: Former union minister and senior Congress leader Srikant Jena today hit out at the Centre for diverting Rs 8000 crore coal cess collected from Odisha annually for projects in developed states like Gujarat and Maharashtra.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has been projecting Odisha as a poor and backward state, should ensure that the money raised through coal cess is utilised for different programmes and not divert the same to developed states.
The former union minister also criticised the Centre over its decision to reverse auction Mandakini coal mines in Odisha and alleged that the state suffered heavy financial losses because of this.
The Congress leader sought the Prime Minister's intervention to stop construction of barrage in upstream of Mahanadi river and formation of a special tribunal to resolve the river water dispute between Odisha and Chattisgarh.
Jena said he has written a letter to the Prime Minister to draw his attention to the adverse impact on Odisha
because of the barrages being constructed by the BJP Government in Chhattisgarh in upstream of river Mahanadi.
He further alleged that construction activities on the upstream of Mahanadi river have been taken up on a war footing by Chhattisgarh government only to provide water to industrialists. "We cannot allow the Mahanadi river to dry as it will severely affect Odisha and its people," he said adding Modi should try to get the matter resolved during national executive meeting of BJP here as Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh is also slated to attend the meet.
Jena also criticised the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) for raising issues like Kerosene quota and pushing the important Mahanadi river water issue into back burner. The dispute over kerosene quota of Odisha can be settled through official talks, he said.
Referring to violence in Bhadrak, Jena said Modi should advise the supporters of BJP to maintain peace and harmony.