Bhubaneswar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi took on Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik at massive public meetings on his own turn as he launched a half-a-dozen projects, including a fertilizer plant in Talcher and Jharsuguda Airport.
After laying the foundation stone for the country’s first coal gasification based fertiliser plant, PM Modi said the decision to start the unit was taken in 2000 but the plan remained on paper only.
“I had asked the workers by when can they finish the pending work here and they have promised me that it will be done within 36 months. I will come back to you after 36 months,” he said, expressing confidence that he would return to power after the general elections in 2019.
Modi said he was left “stunned” to think about how such fertilizer plants have been promised for years, but no actual work has taken place.
The fertiliser plant is being developed by Talcher Fertilisers Limited, a joint-venture of GAIL, Coal India Ltd, Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilisers Ltd and Fertiliser Corporation of India Ltd. The plant, to be commissioned by 2022, will ensure easy availability of urea in Odisha as there is no urea plant in the state.
He slammed the Patnaik Cabinet saying "PC" (percentage commission) culture and delay in taking decisions have become identity of the state government resulting in its "tardy" development.
He also asked Patnaik to reconsider his decision to opt out of the Centre's Ayushman Bharat scheme, which will launch Sunday, and failing to keep the cleanliness drive momentum.
"About 10 crore families, which is about 50 crore people, will benefit from the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana under Ayushman Bharat scheme which will be launched tomorrow (September 23) from Jharkhand.
"If Odisha government does not cooperate, I will not be able to serve you," Modi said.
Mentioning former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's famous assertion that only 15 paise out of one rupee sanctioned by the Centre reaches the beneficiaries, he said, "They knew about the 'bimari' but had no vision to solve it."
"You might remember, we had a Prime Minister in the country who had said that if Re 1 is sent from Delhi, then just 15 paise reaches the states. Such corruption continued for years. However, our government is making sure that whatever money is allotted, all of it reaches the people," Modi said.
"One crore thirty lakh poor people have bank accounts in Odisha due to the Jan Dhan Yojana and the government benefits are being transferred directly to the accounts," said the Prime Minister.
He said Odisha needs to work towards sanitation and come at par with other states on the issue of cleanliness.
"I had urged Chief Minister Naveen Babu that Odisha will be left behind in cleanliness. But today, when I have come here, I again urge Naveen Babu to give priority to cleanliness in Odisha for the health of the people here," he added.
He also said Odisha will get five new medical colleges and the union government is giving Rs 570 crore for the colleges.
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