Odisha BJP launches 5-day statewide agitation against corruption

Bhubaneswar, Nov 14 (PTI) The opposition BJP in Odisha launched a statewide agitation on Tuesday accusing the 23-year-old BJD government of largescale corruption in all spheres.

Titled 'Jan Akrosh Andolan', the five-day agitation launched in all the 314 blocks and urban local bodies will continue till November 18.

BJP state president Manmohan Samal, who attended one such programme in front of Cuttack Sadar block office, said, "All schemes of the state government have ended up in scams. There is scam in all spheres, from panchayat level to state secretariat." Samal said, "During the 23 years of BJD regime, people have been tortured, youths betrayed, women unsafe and every citizen insecure due to the largescale corruption." "The BJP-led NDA government at the Centre during its nine years of tenure has sanctioned Rs 18.83 lakh-crore as assistance, but most of the amount has been embezzled by BJD's people and government officials," Samal said, adding that 50 per cent of the funds are being used as bribe.

"As a result, the benefits of different schemes are not reaching the poor. A poor man is not able to get a house unit under PMAY without giving bribe," BJP leaders said.

In the state capital, the protesters alleged corruption in implementation of the Smart City project and dumped a truckload of garbage in front of the office of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC).

The protestors held the civic body responsible for the Gadakana dumping yard row. They criticised the BMC over dumping of garbage at the Temporary Transit Centre (TTS) behind Sainik School in the heart of the city.

The city has been turned into a dumping yard with foul smell of garbage everywhere, said Diliup Mohanty, a BJP leader.

Reacting to the BJP’s allegations, BJD leader and MLA Amarprasad Satpathy said, "People will not believe in BJP as they have got benefits of the state government’s welfare schemes." PTI AAM AAM MNB