May 6th 2024.
The Congress party has raised concerns about the decreasing central funding for the state of Odisha, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of neglecting the people. Jairam Ramesh, the party's general secretary, posed a few questions to the PM ahead of his rallies in the state. He asked why the central funding for Odisha has been steadily decreasing, and whether the PM can assure a legal status for the SC-ST sub-plan and the completion of the Sitalapalli wagon factory.
Ramesh went on to elaborate on what he calls 'jumla details', alleging that the state has been greatly neglected by the Modi government. He pointed out that as per CAG reports, the central transfers to Odisha as a percentage of revenue receipts have consistently decreased from 57% in 2017-18 to 38% in 2021-22. He also noted that the state's share of Union taxes has been continuously decreasing in the same period.
The Congress leader questioned the government's commitment to their slogan of 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas', as they seem to be neglecting the people of Odisha. He also criticized their record on tribal welfare, citing an increase in crimes against Adivasi persons as per the latest data from the National Crime Records Bureau. He also pointed out that the BJP's allocation for Adivasis in the Central Budget has consistently fallen short of the 8.2% target set by NITI Aayog in 2017.
Ramesh asked why the PM and the BJP have ignored India's Adivasi communities. He also mentioned that the Congress Party has promised a legal status for the SC-ST sub-plan, which would require the central government to meet the 8.2% budget target. He urged the PM to make the same commitment.
The Congress leader also brought up the issue of the Sitalapalli rail wagon factory, which has been in cold storage since it was sanctioned by the UPA government in 2013. He criticized the NDA government for not taking any action on the project and eventually dropping it in 2018. He also mentioned that the current Railway Minister, a Rajya Sabha Member from Odisha, had promised to revive the project, but there has been no progress so far.
Ramesh also highlighted two other projects - Gopalpur-Rayagada Railway Line and Rairakhole-Gopalpur Railway Line - which have faced a similar fate. He questioned why the BJP has deceived the people of Odisha and how much longer they have to wait for the Sitalapalli wagon factory. He called on the PM to break his silence on these issues.
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