Naveen, Dharmendra cross swords in Odisha’s Bijepur
Smriti Irani likens BJD rule autocracy; calls for ending it
By Our Correspondent
Bijepur, Feb. 21: Bijepur, an underdeveloped assembly constituency in Odisha’s Bargarh district on Tuesday witnessed high-voltage campaigning by the leaders of the BJP and ruling BJD.
Bijepur is going to bypoll on February 24 following death incumbent MLA Subal Sahu on August 22, 2017.
While chief minister Naveen Patnaik addressed a public rally at Barpali for the BJD candidate Rita Sahu, – Union ministers Smriti Irani and Dharmendra Pradhan canvassed for the BJP nominee Ashok Panigrahi by addressing half-a-dozen meetings in Gaisilet, Barpali and Bijepur blocks.
The chief minister, as usual, delivered his speech in the conventional way, – reading out from a piece of paper. He noted his government welfare and social security measures for all sections of people. He however, did not touch mention about the farmer suicide cases which the BJP has made a major poll issue.
Nearly a dozen of farmers have committed suicide in Bargarh in recent times and the opposition Congress and BJP have made it the major poll issue.
The CM criticized for slapping high 18 per cent Goods and Services Tax on handloom products that he said had jeopardized the livelihood of hundreds of weavers in Bijepur area.
“The Narendra Modi government which itself champion of the poor imposed a high GST rate of 18 per cent on handloom produces. After hour strong opposition, the Union government slashed it to 5 per cent,” Naveen said.
The BJP leaders, however, appeared quite unsparing in their attack on the chief minister. They heaped all the blame on the BJD for the constituency grueling under underdevelopment.
“Naveen Patnaik has been at the helm of affairs in Odisha for 18 years. But, development is not seen in sector in Bijepur. While the Centre is giving money to Odisha government to pay Rs 1550 as Minimum Support Price (MSP) per quintal of paddy, the Odisha government is just paying between Rs 900 and Rs 1000. Who is pocketing the remaining money?” Dharmendra asked.
Ms Irani said while the Union government was paying 90 per cent subsidy on 40 kg of cotton and 10 kg of silk, the benefiting is not percolating down to the weavers in Odisha. Besides, the state government is not facilitating the Mudra Yojna benefiting to the weavers, she alleged.
Dubbing the Naveen Patnaik as autocratic, Ms Irani called for dislodging the government in the 2019 assembly polls.
