Odisha a victim of political consideration by Centre: Naveen

Peeved over paltry allocation for Odisha under the Backward Region Grant Fund, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today said the Centre had neglected the state on political considerations.
"It is most unfortunate that the Central government is discriminating against Odisha on political considerations. This is a clear case of negligence of our state once again," Patnaik told reporters here.
Patnaik was reacting to the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs' approval of allocation of Rs 250 cr per annum for the poverty stricken Kalahandi-Bolangir-Koraput region in the state. The CCEA on Thursday made the allocation for Odisha and some other states including Bihar.

Though Patnaik did not name Bihar and its Chief Minister, Panchayati Raj minister Kalpataru Das had yesterday alleged that the Congress led UPA government allocated Rs 3,000 crore per annum for Bihar expecting support from the JD(U) leader and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
Defending the Centre, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee President Niranjan Patnaik said "It is the inefficiencies of the Odisha government which failed to get adequate funds while Bihar could manage to ger Rs 3,000 crore per annum for the next four years."
The Congress leader alleged that Odisha's BJD government had utterly failed to utilise funds given by the UPA government. "When you are unable to spend funds, there is no point in blaming the Centre," he said.

Union Minister Srikant Jena also spoke in a similar vein claiming that UPA government had allocated huge funds to Odisha. "Let there be a debate over central funding to Odisha. The state has got good amount of central assistance," he said.
While the CCEA allocated Rs 1,000 crore for KBK region during the next four years of the 12th plan period, Bihar would get Rs 12,000 crore during the same period.