Rahul Gandhi blames BJD Government for bad state of affairs in Odisha

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday took on the Odisha Government by saying it is not letting the benefits of central schemes trickle down to the people and siding with the mining mafia. Addressing a rally at Salepur in Odisha's Cuttack district, Rahul Gandhi said, “Odisha says Centre doesn't send money for the state. But no government has allotted as much money as we did to Odisha in five years. Odisha government hasn’t utilized 5 crore rupees that we have sent”.
At a time when the opposition parties in the state including the Congress are vocal against an alleged large-scale mining scam, Rahul Gandhi blamed Naveen Patnaik's government for not maintaining a clean sheet on the issue and said, “We fought for the tribals in Niyamgiri to get their lands back..We have given their rights in lands back which they deserved. We want to repeat the same in the Odisha. Odisha is a rich state, but people are poor here”. There were reports that out 94 of the 192 iron-ore mining leases in Odisha do not have environmental clearance and 75, which have a green nod, have mined far beyond the approved level.
Continuing the attack on the state government, the Congress leader continued, “Iron and manganese worth rupees 60 thousand crore are being looted. This money should belong to you. But selected people gained from it. Mining mafia gained from it and you keep watching. 20 lakh families have suffered from loss from Chit-fund. We have sent funds under MNREGA from Delhi for you and the money that has been stolen by the state govt. We also have sent the food for the mid-day meal for children that also vanished. Food meant for children was being stolen by BJD leaders. They didn’t stop there; even they galloped the food which was sent for BPL’s families”.
Highlighting the achievements of the Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre, the party vice President continued, “What Delhi government has done? We have initiated a right-based politics. We have provided food to every family in India through right to food, without any discrimination. It is the Congress which gave MNREGA, Land acquisition Act and RTI to the people. RTI is an effective tool to fight corruption”.
Rahul Gandhi further said that the Odisha government was not bringing about development in the state. "School and hospitals are closed there are no teachers and doctors. The state government takes the money from the people but does not utisilise them for their development".
“All of us, the Congress workers, must go to every single village in the state and fight for people’s rights; we must fight corruption” urged Rahul Gandhi. "Throw BJD out of the state and bring a Congress government that works for all sections, a government that fights for the poor", concluded Rahul Gandhi.

Full text of speech of Sh. Rahul Gandhi at Salepur in Cuttack, Odisha