Stop hijacking central schemes, BJP to Odisha government

Bhubaneswar, Oct 4 (IANS) The BJP on Sunday hit out at the Odisha government for trying to hijack the National Food Security Act (NFSA), a central scheme aimed at providing subsidised food grains to people.

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Bijay Mohapatra said the Biju Janata Dal government was adept at hijacking central-sponsored schemes and taking credit by implementing them as its own schemes.

"The government is publicising the NFSA, a centrally-sponsored scheme, as its own scheme. It should refrain from such unethical practices," he said.

Mohapatra said the government has not framed any specific rule for implementation of NFSA, has not formed any redressal committee nor set up any district-level committees to address the grievances of the beneficiaries.

The BJP also slammed the allegations of the BJD that the Centre, where the BJP was in power, was neglecting Odisha.

Reacting to the BJP's allegations, BJD spokesperson Sashi Bhusan Behera said the state implements every central scheme under the federal system.

"The state government is not answerable to any queries of a party. It will furnish its reply to the Centre if it seeks any clarification on NFSA," he said.

On the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti on October 2, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik distributed digitised ration cards to beneficiaries to avail subsidised food grains under the scheme.

In the first phase, the scheme would be implemented in 14 districts from November 1.