BYJD ups the ante against Centre

BHUBANESWAR: The Biju Yuva Janata Dal (BYJD), the youth wing of the BJD, has decided to launch a Statewide awareness campaign against the Centre’s ‘negative attitude’ towards declaring Odisha as a special category state. Criticising the Centre for ignoring the demands of Odisha, BYJD president Sanjay Dasburma said ` 4,550-crore proposal of the State Government for a long-term action plan for backward KBK is yet to be approved.  Referring to the statements of Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh and Odisha in-charge of the Congress Jagdish Tytler criticising the State Government for its failure to implement welfare programmes, Dasburma said the people of the State would see through the designs of these leaders. Alleging that the anti-Odisha attitude of the Centre is very clear, Dasburma said development of the State had been affected very much because of neglect in the Railways sector. Besides, the attempt of the Kolkata Port Trust to expand its territory into Odisha’s jurisdiction is well known, he said. Dasburma said the State had lost ` 70,000 crore because of delay in revision of royalty on minerals. He warned the Congress that people of the State would give it a befitting reply and return the BJD to power again in 2014 election.