Bhubaneswar, Dec 15: The BJP, a partner in the Naveen Patnaik-led coalition government in Orissa, has asked the administration to attach top priority in ensuring timely expenditure of assistance received from the Centre. The Central government has never been tight-fisted in matters of financial assistance to the state and Orissa has received adequate help, a resolution adopted at the party's two-day executive committee meeting which concluded at Jatni yesterday, said.

The projects or programmes for which the funds had been received should be completed in time, it said.

The resolution expressed concern over law and order situation in the state saying the party felt that there was need for government to further improve it.

Referring to the allegations of distress sale of paddy which it described as a serious problem, the resolution demanded that the state government should take prompt and stringent action to deal with the matter.

However, the state government's decision to procure 14 lakh tonnes of levy paddy through its own machinery and another one lakh tonn through the FCI would considerably ease the problem, it said.

Raising the issue of financial distress of SCs and STs in the state, it demanded that the government should take a decision to waive interest on the loans incurred by them.

The resolution hailed the government decision to provide grant-in-aid to private educational institutions saying the same should be implemented on priority.

It also demanded the constitution of a task force to prepare the draft for the proposed linking of rivers in the state.

Bureau Report