BHUBANESWAR: The BJP on Sunday slammed Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for scaring the people that all welfare schemes launched by the BJD will be stopped if the saffron party is voted to power.
In a strong rebuttal to the Chief Minister’s allegation that food security programmes will be discontinued once BJP returns to power, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said the BJP in its manifesto has promised to provide rice, dal and salt at ` one per kg to 3.26 crore people if his party came to power.
Reiterating his party’s commitment, Pradhan said, “If the BJP comes to power in the State, it will provide five kg rice, 500 gram dal and an equal amount of salt to 3.26 crore beneficiaries at ` one per kg under the National Food Security Scheme (NFSA).”
Claiming that the State still has the dubious distinction for having maximum undernourished people, the BJP leader said the Chief Minister is trying to cover up its failure by scaring the people.As the BJD Government failed in its food security and supplementary nutrition programmes, the BJP decided to supplement the scheme with additional provision of dal and salt. So far, the State Government has been providing five kg rice per head at a subsidised price of ` one a kg in which the Central Government share is `29 while the State’s contribution is only ` two.
The Chief Minister has resorted such propaganda after realising that his party is going to lose this election. Besides, Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his recent public meeting here has exposed the State Government which has been claiming credit for the specially subsidised rice, Pradhan said.
He further said the ruling BJD is so jealous of Modi that it is depriving the people of the State from the benefits of Central schemes like Ayushman Bharat, the largest health assurance scheme. It also did not give the list of farmers to the Centre for implementation of PM-KISAN scheme fearing that the BJP will take all credit.
Meanwhile, State BJP in-charge Arun Singh clarified that no scheme of the State Government will be stopped as apprehended by the BJD chief.
Singh further said the BJP will provide interest-free loans to farmers and procure paddy directly from their fields. Reiterating his party commitment to spent ` one lakh crore on irrigation in five years, the national BJP general secretary said loans of self-help groups will be waived.