Patnaik's ‘populist schemes’ draw flack

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Bhubaneswar, Oct 29 (Odisha.in) Opposition parties in Orissa on Saturday accused chief minister Naveen Patnaik of launching ‘populist schemes’ at a time when election to the local bodies is just few months away.
 
Patnaik launched ‘Bicycle scheme’ on Friday under which each girl reading in class tenth in the state run or state aided schools will receive Rs.2600 to buy a bicycle.
 
Similarly the chief minister had on Oct 19 launched ‘Mamata scheme’ an initiative under which the pregnant mothers will be given each a cash of Rs.5000.
 
The panchayat election in the state is likely to be held in early next year.
“From these schemes it appears he is preparing ground for his party for the ensuing local bodies’ poll with these schemes” Jual Oram, state unit president of the Bharatiya Janata Party told Odisha.in.
 
“There is no doubt the chief minister has launched these schemes to cover up the government’s misdeeds” Niranjan Patnaik, state unit president of the Congress party said.
 
At least 50000 women in the state last week received their first installment under the new Rs. 350 crore ‘Mamata’ scheme the government has launched to provide monetary support to 0.6 million women every year.
 
The state is home to 36.70 million people; about half of them are poor. The impoverished state has the dubious distinction of having country’s second highest infant mortality rate of 65 per 1000 births after Madhya Pradesh’s 67.
 
Under the bicycle scheme the chief minister launched in his home district of Ganjam, at least three lakh students will be provided each a cheque of amounting to Rs.2600 for buying bicycle.
 
Each beneficiary has to physically show the bicycle and submit the bill to the concerned school authorities. The bicycle scheme will cost the state about Rs.74.4 crore every year.   
 
The Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe male students studying in Class 10 in government and government-aided schools will also given the same facility under the scheme.
 
The state government has claimed both the schemes will help improve status of the women in the society in the state which has a female literacy rate of 50.97 percent against the national average of 54.28.
 
Odisha.in

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