Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan Wednesday took a jibe at an Odisha minister for not forgoing subsidy on gas cylinder for the sake of welfare of the poor and said that Naveen Patnaik's cabinet colleague S N Patro received Rs 1850 as subsidy under the cooking gas scheme this year.
Pradhan made the revelation about Odisha's Food Supply and Consmumer Welfare minister S N Patro while addressing a BJP function here.
"Naveen Patnaik's Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare minister S N Patro has received Rs 1850 as subsidy meant for poor consumers in 2018," Pradhan said.
The state minister said he was not aware about the matter and accused the Union Petroleum minister of having "vindictive" attitude towards him.
"I am not aware about the allegations made by Pradhan. The delivery man comes and gives cooking gas at my house. I do not know when the subsidy money is deposited in my account. Why should I take subsidy on gas?," Patro told PTI when contacted.
"This is vindictive attitude of Pradhan as my department along with vigilance had raided on the gas agency owned by Union Minister's brother. His brother was booked in a case for blackmarketing. His brother was in bail from High Court," he added.
Earlier in the month, both Patro and Pradhan were engaged in a war of words over the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana.
While Patro alleged that the Ujjwala Yojana has failed in Odisha as poor people were unable to go for refillin of cyclinders due to high cost of LPG, Pradhan had rejected it.
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