Naveen-Modi gave ‘Pan’ to Odisha people, Congress guarantees Rs 1 lakh for poor: Rahul Gandhi

Salipur (Cuttack): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today guaranteed people of Odisha to work for the upliftment of poor, oppressed, unemployed youth, farmers and labourers if the party is voted to power in the state as well as Centre in the forthcoming elections.

Launching a scathing attack on Naveen Patnaik Government in Odisha and the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Centre, Rahul said that the state is being ruled by an outsider.

“The BJD and BJP have married in Odisha and they offered ‘Pan’ to people out of their marriage. It is Pandian who is ruling the state. Like Narendra Modi is running the government with 22 billionaires, Naveenji is governing the state with a handful of people,” Rahul said in his address at a public rally at Salipur in Odisha’s Cuttack district.

He said that Congress committed to refund all money looted from Odisha if the party came to power in the state and the centre as well.

“We will provide Rs 2000 to women every month, Rs 3000 to unemployed youth, 200 units free electricity, Rs 3000 per quintal to farmers for paddy procurement in Odisha. Also, the LPG prices will be slashed to Rs 500 if the party is voted to power in the state,” Rahul promised.

Addressing a huge gathering at Salipur, he said that the above-mentioned promises are for Odisha. The party will do 5 revolutionary work if the party wins the Lok Sabha polls at the Centre.

He said that the party is giving a guarantee to provide Rs 1 lakh to poor women every year, ‘pehli naukri pakki’ scheme, farmers loan waiver, MSP for crops to farmers and to increase wage of labourers.

“Modi gave Rs 16 lakh crore to people in past 10 years, Naveen Patnaik gave ‘Pan’ during his rule, Modi-Naveen made 22 people billionaires, but we will make crores of people ‘lakhpati’ (rich) if the party is voted to power both in the state and centre. We will prepare a list of poor people in the country and one woman from each family will be chosen as the beneficiary to receive Rs 1 lakh from the Centre through DBT in her bank account every year,” Rahul said adding, “poor households’ accounts will be credited with Rs 8,500 every month”.

He guaranteed to launch a scheme ‘Pehli Naukri Pakki’ under which unemployed youth will be offered one-year job in public and private sectors as per their eligibility.

“Naveen Patnaik gave you ‘Pan’, but we will provide apprenticeship for one year to unemployed youth in public sectors, private sectors, govt offices, hospitals. The farmers loans will be waived off, we will give Minimum Support Price at which the farmers can sell their crops to the government. The salary of ASHA and Anganwadi workers will be doubled, the wage of labourers under MGNREGA will be increased to Rs 400,” he said.

He promised that the Congress will give rights to tribals on land, water and forest resources in the country if the party is voted to power.