Patnaik rues Central apathy

BHUBANESWAR, April 19: The Centre was neglecting development projects in Orissa and the promised financial assistance was nowhere in sight, ...

BHUBANESWAR, April 19: The Centre was neglecting development projects in Orissa and the promised financial assistance was nowhere in sight, state Chief Minister J B Patnaik said on Saturday. Patnaik, who met Atal Behari Vajpayee on Friday to apprise him of the problems plaguing his state, said he had received no assurance from the Prime Minister in this regard.

Addressing a news conference here, the Chief Minister said he appreciated Vajpayee’s public statement here pledging “all assistance” to the state, adding however that such statements had “no meaning” if the Centre did not release the funds. He maintained that the Long Term Action Plan (LTAP) for economic development of the KBK (Kalahandi, Bolangir and Koraput) districts would end up being a farce unless the Centre “sincerely” funded the programme. The state did not have the resources to finance the scheme, he pointed out.

The Chief Minister said the Centre had only sanctioned Rs 4.25 crore for the scheme in 1995-96 out of its share of Rs 73crore. Besides, no funds were authorised in the financial year 1996-97 out of its share of Rs 94.01 crore.

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The plan was discussed at a meeting of Secretaries on October 10, 1996, said Patnaik, where it was decided that additional funds for the KBK districts could be sanctioned after the formation of the Zilla Parishads. However, no action being taken, he alleged.

The LTAP was conceived in 1995-96 to expedite the implementation of poverty alleviation programmes in the drought-prone KBK districts. The Rs 4557.03 crore programme was proposed to be spread over a period of seven years brginning 1995-96. Out of the total estimate, Rs 4167 crore would have accrued from the normal flow of funds while of the remaining Rs 389.21 crore, the Centre’s share would be Rs 319.16 crore and the state’s Rs 70.05 crore. Patnaik pointed out that on the Centre’s rejection of funds for free kitchens in the drought-affected KBK areas the state had implemented the scheme with its own kitty. He also refuted “propaganda” that theNHRC report had confirmed starvation deaths. NHRC had recommended several relief measures but the Centre “showed no interest”, he alleged.

The Chief Minister also said that the Centre had ignored a state proposal of Rs 1244.23 crore for launching irrigation projects in the area based on the recommendations of the expert committee.

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