BHUBANESWAR: Condemning the recent violence at Sambalpur during a procession on eve of Hanuman Jayanti celebrations, Union Rural Development and Panchayati Raj minister Giriraj Singh on Friday said it is not acceptable in a peaceful state like Odisha.
The Union minister who is on a two-day visit to the state, said extremist and fundamentalist forces are rearing their heads in Odisha and stones are being pelted at ‘sobhayatras’ taken out on auspicious occasions like Hanuman Jayanti and Ram Navami. “It is not acceptable for Odisha and the country,” he added.
Singh also came down heavily on the state government for alleged favouritism in implementation of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) in Odisha by stating deserving beneficiaries are being deprived of the scheme’s benefits. Odisha was given only Rs 26,000 crore during eight years of UPA government. But after NDA came to power, the central government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has provided more than Rs 1 lakh crore to the state. Even then genuine beneficiaries continue to suffer, he said.
The minister said the Centre allotted 38 lakh houses to Odisha by relaxing rules after Union Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan and state Panchayati raj minister Pradip Amat took up the matter with him. Singh said he will review whether the houses have been allotted to genuine beneficiaries.
Responding to Singh’s allegations, ruling BJD MLA Debi Prasad Mishra said the centre is bound to give funds to states in a federal structure. “The Union minister should refrain from making such careless and frivolous allegations,” he said, adding the state government also contributes 50 per cent of the funds under PMAY.