State Congress today hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of his Odisha visit and accused the BJP-led Central government of "depriving" the state of Rs 1 lakh crore through reverse bidding of a coal block and putting a brake on CBI probe into chitfund scam.
"The Prime Minister should explain as to why reverse bidding was followed in the auction of Mandakini coal block instead of forward bidding. Because of this Odisha lost Rs 1 lakh crore," senior Congress leader Srikant Jena told reporters here.
Modi is scheduled to address a public meeting at Balasore on June 2.
Jena said the people of Odisha should know in whose interest reverse bidding was followed as the "state was a big loser in the process".
Charging the Modi government with "failing" to make a single contribution to the state since it came to power, he said important projects approved during UPA rule including Rs 700-crore super speciality hospital of AIIMS at Balasore appear to have been pushed into cold storage.
Slamming Modi on corruption, Jena claimed probe into the multi-crore chitfund scam in which several BJD leaders are allegedly involved had slowed down apparently because of a "deal" with the ruling party in the state.
"Despite Centre's negligence, BJD was not raising major issues affecting the state but shouting over trivial matters like rice and wheat because of an understanding aimed at protecting its leaders in scams," the Congress leader said.
The Centre also "failed" to take action against mines mafia though M B Shah Commission, which probed into the mining scam in the state, had recommended a CBI probe, he said.
The previous UPA government had initiated work for setting up of ESIC medical college here but the BJP-led government stalled it, Jena claimed.
