BJD ridicules Union Ministers for eating at poor peoples house

The BJD today ridiculed Union Ministers for eating food and sleeping at houses of poor families during their visit to the state to attend MODI Fest and Sabka Saath Sabka Bikas programmes and described them as publicity stunt.
"Now Union Ministers coming down to Odisha are taking food at the poor man's house and even sleeping inside their huts for publicity. Have they ever thought how to help the poor families," BJD spokesman Prashanta Nada asked at a media conference here.
The BJD was reacting to Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu having food at the house of Suchita Behera, a dalit woman at Salia Sahi slum in the state capital.

Earlier last week, Union Agriculture Minister Radhamohan Singh and Union Rural Development Minister Ramkripal Yadav during their visits have also taken food at the houses of poor.
"Having food at the houses of poor people does not confirm that they love you and your government. Earlier Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi had also adopted same formula and taken food at houses of certain tribal families. But, they failed to win hearts of the poor people," Nanda said .
The BJD wanted to know what the Modi government has done for the poor families of Odisha during last three years.

"The Centre should give a detail on what it has done in the last three years. Eight schemes have been delinked from Central support whereas the budget of 33 schemes in the state has been cut-down. This is a joke on poverty," Nanda said.

Nanda also sought reply from the Union Urban Development Minister, who visited the state today to attend Sabka Saath Sabka Vikash Sammelan, on his initiatives for development of slum dwellers and the amount of fund granted for drinking water in urban areas.
BJD Spokesperson Samir Ranjan Das said the Centre is spending money of PSUs in the name of Modi Fest. He also slammed the Centre for not paying any heed to Odisha's demand regarding the Mahanadi water issue.

Asked about the BJD's allegation of misuse of CPSUs and their engagement in the publicity, Naidu said: "The Public sector undertaking are doing the work for the public.