TNI Bureau: The Rice Politics returns to Odisha, with the opposition BJP taking the ruling BJD head on and vowing to stop it from taking any political mileage over PM Garib Kalyan Yojana.
The BJP warned BJD not to play ‘dirty politics’ and stop using party posters and banners at PDS Centres to hijack the central scheme of Modi Govt which distributes free rice to the beneficiaries under PMGKY.
The issue snowballed into a major controversy after a supply assistant in Mayurbhanj was forced to bring down poster of CM Naveen Patnaik following confrontation from the locals. Similar incidents are being reported from various parts of the state.
BJP held a press meet today, issuing strong warning to BJD on this matter, saying it would go aggressive to stop BJD from taking any political mileage from central projects. Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also lashed out at the ruling party on this issue.
BJP sought to the put the record straight with the fact that Centre is providing free rice to 3.26 crore people in Odisha while the state government is distributing its free rice to only 10 lakh beneficiaries who are in the extended list (3% of the total beneficiaries).
