New Delhi, Jun 7: Former Orissa Minister Niranjan Patnaik was today appointed state Congress president. Patnaik replaces former minister K P Singh Deo. The announcement was made by AICC General Secretary Janardhan Dwivedi.
Meanwhile, in Bhubaneswar, Congress leader and AICC's Orissa in-charge Jagdish Tytler today posed seven new questions and threw a challenge to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for an open debate.
“Around two months ago, I had posed seven questions on misgovernance and corruption during BJD rule. Since the questions still remain unanswered, charges against Naveen government are proved,” Tytler told reporters here.
Claiming that BJD leaders were rattled by his visits to Orissa and charges levelled against the state government, Tytler said there was a desperate bid to discredit him by raising issues relating to 1984 anti-Sikh riots, his visit to Lord Jagannath temple and linking him with Hasan Ali.
“Instead of trying to steer clear of charges himself, a nervous Naveen engaged a couple of party leaders and ministers to discredit me,” the former union minister said.
“After proving that the charges against me are baseless and false and vindicating my visit to Jagannath temple at Puri being a devout Hindu, I want to pose seven new questions to the BJD about its misrule and inefficiency,” he said.
“Now I challenge ... I want an open public debate with the chief minister on all issues including 1984 riots,” Tytler said adding Patnaik should also answer the seven new questions to prove wrong the charges of corruption, inefficiency and misrule against the BJD government.
Listing his questions, the Congress leader said Naveen government is misleading the people saying the Centre is not giving money, but the truth is that under UPA rule, per capita loan increased from Rs 5704.04 crore in 2001 to Rs 12479.29 crore. “Why is this man lying to the people,” he asked Similarly, for improvement of sewerage system, the centre gave Rs 754.23 crore but Orissa government failed to spend half of it, he said.
Under Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA), Orissa government could not use money sent by the Centre, Tytler said adding Rs 26880.97 crore was provided to the state in 2007-09, while Rs 20517 crore given in 2008-09 and Rs 258789.88 crore in 2009-10.
The BJD government should be ashamed for its dismal performance as the children were suffering so much even when the Centre was giving so much funds, he said. Turning to National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS), the Congress leader said Orissa government had failed to use Rs 475.45 crore in 2008-09, Rs 43.88 crore in 2009-10 and Rs 508.46 crore in 2010-11.
The Naveen Patnaik government was also unable to use Rs 235.39 crore of the funds provided under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) in 2008-09 while Rs 81.32 crore remained unused in 2009-10, Tytler said.
Under Rajiv Gandhi Vidyutikaran Yojana the state government failed to spend Rs 422.71 crore in 2008-09 and Rs 953.69 crore in 2009-10, he said.
Tytler said 7022 schools in Orissa are being run by 7022 teachers, one teacher running one school. “It is just because of the inefficiency of the state government,” he said adding 12,714 villages in Orissa have no school. A “chargesheet” detailing corruption, inefficiency and misgovernance during the BJD rule would soon be released and presented to the President, he said, dismissing a similar document released by BJP recently as “meaningless” as the saffron party was BJD's “partner” for nine long years.
Congress would also launch a “hisab do campaign” across Orissa in order to expose the BJD government which must explain as to where huge funds provided by the Centre for various schemes were being used, he said. PTI
