BJD criticises centre for lower allocation of Rail funds, BJP trashes allegation

Odishas ruling BJD has criticisedthe centre for meagre allocation of Railway funds to the statein the budget 2021-22, a charge dismissed by the BJP whoseleaders asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has allalong given priority to the state and provided sufficientmoney.

The BJD has expressed its dissatisfaction over allocationof Rs 6,995 crore for the rail network expansion in the statein the budgetary allocation spelled by Union Finance ministerNirmala Sitharaman in Parliament.

Odishas Commerce and Transport minister Padmanabha Beheradubbed the railway allocation for 2021-22 fiscal as''disappointing''.

The party's spokesperson Lenin Mohanty came out with amore sharp comment saying, ''During the colonial era, theBritishers used railway lines for looting minerals from Odishaand it is a matter of regret that the same is being practicedby the central government of today even after 75 years ofIndependence.'' BJP state general secretary and spokesman Golak Mohapatradismissed the BJD's charge Saturday and held the stategovernment responsible for dealy in completion of railwayprojects in the state.

''If railway projects in Odisha are getting delayed, it isbecause of the state governments inefficiency in handlingissues like land acquisition, law and order and forestclearance and not due to the funds constraint,'' Mohapatrasaid.

Rejecting BJD spokesman Mohantys claim that Odisha got anallocation of only Rs 14,000 crore in the last seven years ofNDA rule, Mohapatra said, ''The state has received Rs 36,000crore and not Rs 14,000 cr.'' Mohapatra alleged that the BJD was misleading people bygiving false information.

BJPs another spokesperson Lekhashree Samantrasinghar alsocame down heavily on the BJD for the regional party drawing aparallel between the British Raj and the saffron partygovernment.

Claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has all alonggiven priority to Odisha and allocated sufficient funds,Samantasinghar asked the state government to share details onhow much funds it has received from the centre and how muchhas it spent on various projects.

''Instead of thanking Modi government for record allocationto Odisha in the railway sector, the Odisha government iscomparing the Prime Ministers leadership with the Britishrule. This kind of attitude by the BJD government isabsolutely condemnable,'' Samantsinghar said.

The BJD in a statement on Friday said that only six newrailway lines have been sanctioned for Odisha sinceIndependence Cuttack-Paradeep (83km), Talcher-Sambalpur(174km), Khordha-Rayagada-164km, Daitari-Banspani(155km),Lanjigarh-Junagarh(56km) and Khordha-Bolangir (of which only30% has been completed so far).

The regional party also said that though the country hasbeen Independent for 75 years, at least six Odisha districtshave not yet been connected with the railway line. They are:Kandhamal, Boudh, Mayurbhanj, Kendrapada, Deogarh, andMalkangiri.

In the last seven years, only one district of Odisha hasgot railway connectivity and if this rate of progresscontinues, then another 42 years would be needed to providerail link to the remaining six districts, the BJD said.

''Though the railway earns Rs 20,000 crore per annum fromOdisha, the state in the last 7 years got a total allocationof Rs 14,000 cr. Isnt this step-motherly attitude towardsOdisha?, the BJD asked.

On the railway density in the state, the BJD pointed outthat Odisha has only 15 km per 1,000 km rail network while itis 42 km in West Bengal and 35 km in Bihar.