Bhubaneswar, Dec 16: The dual standard of the ruling Biju Janata Dal regarding Central support has come to the fore ahead of elections. Even Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, MP Pinaki Misra and many other BJD leaders praised the Modi Government for its continued support to Odisha many times, it has now changed its stand deciding to raise the Central Apathy issue as general elections are ahead.

Speaking at the BJD executive meeting at the Sankha Bhawan yesterday, the Chief Minister has directed party leaders and workers to raise the Central Apathy before the people. This has sparked sharp reactions among the opposition parties. Patnaik has advised party men to raise issues like Special Category Status to Odisha, Polavaram, and Mahanadi water dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh, coal royalty and cess, railway, national highway and GST waiter from Kendu leaves as poll planks.

While BJD vice president Debi Prasad Mishra, who once praised the Modi government for Central support to Odisha, said the Centre is not listening to Odisha's Special Category demand and not working to resolve Polavarm and Mahanadi issues, the BJP strongly responded to the allegation.

"There is no question of Central negligence after the Modi Government came in 2014. Odisha has received 18 thousand lakh crore. There is no question of Central negligence," said BJP leader Golak Mohapatra.

He slammed the government for failing to provide land for railway and NH projects.

Senior Congress leader Bijaya Patnaik said the performance of the BJD government is very dismal. There is no truth in the transformation claim being made by the State government, said Patnaik.

Making a comparison of funds availed to Odisha during the earlier Congress-led UPA government and present Modi Government, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has many times reacted to the BJD. While Odisha was given financial assistance of 2 lakh 63 thousand crore in nine years of UPA government, the amount increased to 18 lakh 83 thousand crore during the nine years of Modi government.

To empower Odisha financially, the UPA government had provided only 2,43,000 crore, while the Modi government has given 10 lakh 69 thousand crore to Odisha in these nine years.

The Railway assistance to Odisha has increased 1000 times during the Modi government. While only 883 crores was given to Odisha during the nine years UPA government, Odisha was given over 10 thousand crores in just one year.

During UPA time, 267 km railway line was constructed every year. But now Odisha seeing construciton of 1583 km new railway line every year.

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