Rahul launches scathing attack on BJD, says it “looted” funds

By Our Correspondent Bhatapada (Odisha), Feb. 9: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday launched a scathing attack on the ruling BJD in Odisha saying that it was “looting” the money provided by the Centre for implementation of various social security schemes and welfare measures. “The UPA has provided huge funds to Odisha under various schemes. No other government had previously sanctioned so much of fund to the state. However, all the money is not reaching to the people as the corrupt BJD is looting it,” Mr Gandhi said while addressing a massive public rally here. He mentioned that the funds provided for implementation of various programmes like Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Act, Mid-Day Meal (MDM) and BPL rice were also being misappropriated by the ruling party in Odisha. “The rice meant for BPL people is being eaten up by the BJD leaders. Similar is the case with the MDM scheme. This is high time people about all these irregularities and protested,” he observed amidst thunderous applause by the crowd. Dubbing the state government as inefficient, the Gandhi scion nearly Rs 5000 crore central fund was pending unutilized due to incompetency of the state administration. The Gandhi scion although Odisha was endowed with rich reserves of mineral resources, its people continued to suffer in abject poverty due to poor administration by the BJD government. “Odisha has got huge reserves of iron ore, bauxite, manganese and chromite. However, the present government here has plundered all these resources. The state has lost nearly Rs 60 thousand crore revenue due to the looting of mineral resources by mining mafias,” he said. Mr Gandhi also raised the issue of chit fund scam and said nearly 20 lakh depositors in the state were duped by fake firms who he alleged were extended active patronization by the BJD government. “Instead of leveraging the state’s mineral resources for the upliftment of the people, the BJD ensured that a selected section of influential people looted these wealth and benefitted,” he alleged. Stating that the UPA had empowered the common people by enacting the Right to Information Act , Mr Gandhi said his party always wanted to delegate more powers to aam aadmi. During his speech, he also mentioned about Niyamgiri hill in Odisha’s Kalahandi district where he supported the local people’s opposition to mining of bauxite that they thought would put their livelihood in jeopardy. Mr Gandhi refrained from his usual scathing attack on the BJP. “All I want to say you that keep the BJD and BJP out of power to save the state,” he said. After his arrival at the Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar, Mr Gandhi straight away headed for Bhatpada. His roadshow from Bhubaneswar to Bhatapada marked hundreds of queuing up on both the sides of the road to greet him. At many places, Rahul got off from his bullet-proof vehicle to mingle with the crowd.