Bhubaneswar, Dec 5: Following BJP’s grand victories in Rajasthan, Chattisharh and Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s virtual warning to States not implementing Central  welfare schemes seems to have sent a shiver down the spine of the BJD government in Odisha. 

Despite repeated requests by the BJP, the Naveen Patnaik government has not implemented the Aayushman Bharat and PM SHRI Yojana meant for the welfare of the poor people. 

Assembly election results of four States announced recently has indicated that the people have keenly accepted Central welfare schemes and discarded the States which have not implemented the yojanas on silly political considerations.   

Speaking at the BJP’s Bijaya Utsav, the Prime Minister advised the non-BJP-ruled  States  to make the Central welfare schemes reach the poor without delay. 

“Rectify yourself, accept welfare programmes. Or else, the people will end you soon,” the Prime Minister said.

He advised not to come at all on the way of the Central Yojanas and the funds being released for those programmes. This is an order of the people, he reiterated.

Following the prime Minister’s warning, politics over non execution of  Central Schemes like Aayushman and PM SHRI schemes have heated up politics in Odisha. 

The BJP State unit has severely criticized the Naveen Patnaik government. 

Addressing a Press meet, BJP Odisha president Manmohan Samal said, “The Modi government has provided adequate funds to the State. In the last nine years, the Union Government has given 18 lakh 63 thousand crore to Odisha which has not been utilized properly. The BJD in Odisha will face the same fate that the Congress experienced in the States, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan.” 

There will be a ‘U’ turn in Odisha politics in 2024 and people of the State will get the Modi guaranty,” Asserted Samal.

Meanwhile, the BJD has refuted the charge of Samal. 

Commenting on Samal’s allegation, Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak said, “We have not stood as an obstacle to any yojana. People have always supported us for the ongoing development process in the State.| 

We remind that the Odisha government hasn’t implemented the Aayushman Yojana that ensures free treatment to diseases like heart operation, kidney transplant and cancer and PM SHRI Yojana that ensures establishment of schools with Central funds despite repeated requests made by Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

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