On Friday, Union Minister Giriraj Singh accused the Odisha government of favoritism by withholding the benefits of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) from deserving beneficiaries.
In a two-day trip to Odisha, Giriraj Singh, the BJP’s in-charge of state affairs, said the UPA government allocated only Rs 26000 crore to the state in eight years, yet the genuine beneficiaries continue to suffer.
PM Modi gave Odisha Rs 1 lakh crore of its own money, as compared to Rs 26000 crore allocated by my department (Rural Development & Panchayati Raj) under the UPA regime. We even provided 38 lakh houses to Odisha despite all rules, Singh said. I want to give housing to the poor in the State.
He added that people are now throwing stones at the sobhayatras that are being carried out on auspicious occasions like Hanuman Jayanti and Ram Navami because extremists and fundamentalists are raising heads in a peaceful state like Odisha. The union minister said, “I do not think it is acceptable for both Odisha as well as the country as a whole.”
A motorcycle rally for Hanuman Jayanti in Sambalpur recently came to a violent end, resulting in the injury of at least ten policemen.
BJD MLA Debi Mishra said in response to Singh’s allegations that the Centre must provide funds to states within a federal structure. Such frivolous and careless allegations should not be made by the Union Minister.