SAMBALPUR: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday assured the people of Deogarh that he would hold talks with the Railway Ministry over the proposal for a new line connecting Barkote in the district with Jharsuguda and Kuchinda sub-division in Sambalpur.
Attending the Garib Kalyan Samavesh at Bad Bagicha in Deogarh, Pradhan said, “People of Deogarh gave me proposal for a railway line from Barkote to Jharsuguda through Deogarh town and Kuchinda sub-division. I humbly accept the proposal. The issue was raised in the Lok Sabha by Sambalpur MP Nitesh Ganga Deb. I will personally go to the Rail Bhawan and remind the officials about the aspiration of the people here.”
If the state government provides land, the Centre will also accelerate the release of fund for the railway line from Barkote to Rourkela, he said. Highlighting the pro-people schemes of the Centre, the union minister said at least 73, 617 families of Deogarh district have received Rs 2,184 crore under different schemes launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government in the last nine years. The schemes include subsidised rice, PMAY, Ujjwala, Mudra loan and assistance to SHGs. “In these nine years, Odisha has been considered as a laboratory for the welfare of poor by PM Modi.”
Pradhan further said the MSP of paddy was Rs 1,360 in 2014-15. To make farmers self-reliant, the paddy MSP has been increased to Rs 2,183. It has almost doubled under the tenure of Narendra Modi. Taking a dig at the state government, Pradhan said the Centre has provided nine lakh houses to urban and rural areas of Odisha under Pradhan Mantri Away Yojana (PMAY).
However, the state government is not ready to allot those to beneficiaries. The fund released by the Centre is also being claimed by Odisha government as its own. “Since welfare of people is not the priority of the state government, a huge amount of the funds is being embezzled by the BJD,” he added. On the day, the union minister also addressed meetings at Fasimal and Tamparkela in Sambalpur district.
