Bhubaneswar: Accusing Odisha government of misleading the assembly by providing wrong information on utilisation of central funds under police modernisation scheme, opposition Congress on Wednesday served a privilege notice against Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
Congress Chief Whip Prasad Harichandan moved a notice to the Speaker alleging that the Chief Minister, also incharge of home department, had claimed expenditure of 99 per cent of the central funds under Police Modernisation Scheme provided since 2000.
Patnaik while replying to a debate on supplementary demand of grant of home department on December 19, had said, "While utilisation of funds under Police Modernisation Scheme is 99 per cent of the funds provided since 2000, it is unfortunate that government of India has not increased its share." Alleging that the Chief Minister was blaming Congress in view of ensuing panchayat polls, Harichandan claimed that the state government had failed to spend the funds being provided by the Centre under different heads.
While the centre provided Rs 69 crore under police modernisation scheme during 2008-09, Odisha government could spend only Rs 42 crore and surrendered about Rs 26 crore, the Congress chief whip said. In 2009-10, the Centre gave Rs 93.40 crore under police modernisation to the state but the state surrendered Rs 61.47 crore as it could spend only Rs 31.93 crore.
Similar was the case in 2010-11. While the state got Rs 101.42 crore, it spent Rs 80.14 crore and surrendered Rs 21.28 crore, the Congress chief whip claimed.
Asking the Chief Minister to explain as to how 99 per cent of the central funds were utilised in the state, Harichandan requested the Speaker to accept the notice as a privilege motion.
"I will examine the notice given by the Congress chief whip," Speaker Pradip Kumar Amat said.
PTI