June 12th 2024.
The Congress party has raised concerns about the reduction of central funding for the state of Odisha over the years. Jairam Ramesh, the general secretary of Congress, posed some questions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi before the swearing-in ceremony of Mohan Charan Majhi as the Chief Minister. According to Ramesh, the previous government led by the 'one-third' Prime Minister has continuously decreased the central transfers as a percentage of revenue receipts for the state, as reported by the CAG. He also mentioned that the state's share of Union taxes has also been decreasing. Ramesh questioned whether the current Prime Minister will continue to deprive Odisha of its fair share.
Ramesh also highlighted the decrease in grants recommended by the Fifteenth Finance Commission. He questioned whether the 'one-third' Prime Minister will continue this trend of depriving Odisha of its fair share. Ramesh also brought up the issue of the Sitalapalli rail wagon factory, which was sanctioned by the UPA government in 2013 but has been inactive since then. He alleged that the previous government did not make any progress on this project and eventually dropped it in 2018. Ramesh also mentioned that the current Railway Minister, who is a Rajya Sabha member from Odisha, had promised to revive the project. However, there has been no progress on this front. Ramesh also highlighted the lack of progress on two other railway projects in the state, the Gopalpur-Rayagada Railway Line and the Rairakhole-Gopalpur Railway Line.
The Congress leader also questioned whether these projects will be completed before the current government's term ends. He also raised concerns about the safety of Odia lives in the railway system. Ramesh mentioned the horrific train collision in Balasore last year, which claimed 293 lives and injured over 1000 people. He stated that while three railway officials were held responsible for the accident, the Central government cannot be absolved of their role in it. Ramesh also brought up the issue of high staff vacancies in the railways across the country. He mentioned that the Railway Workers' Union had organized a sit-in protest in 2022, demanding new recruitment to avoid overworking and to ensure adequate rest for the staff. Ramesh stated that even after such incidents, the Railway Ministry has not taken any corrective measures, and the staff vacancies remain high.
Ramesh also questioned the re-appointment of the Railway Minister, despite the high number of accidents and staff vacancies. He asked whether the value of Odia lives is so low to the Prime Minister. Ramesh also mentioned the controversial statement made by BJP MP Sambit Patra during the elections, where he claimed that even Lord Jagannath (a Hindu deity) is a devotee of Modi. Ramesh stated that this statement was deeply insulting to the devotees of Lord Jagannath and questioned whether the Prime Minister believes himself to be above the pantheon of Indian Gods. He also raised concerns about the delay in reviving the Amarda airstrip, which was approved in 2022 but has not seen any development.
As the BJP has come to power in Odisha, ending the 24-year rule of the BJD, Ramesh questioned whether the promised projects for the state will be completed before the current government's term ends. He also raised concerns about the lack of progress and development in Odisha under the current government.
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