By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, March 3, 2015 :

Odisha chief minister and the ruling Biju Janta Dal [BJD] president, Naveen Patnaik seems to have the uncanny habit of springing surprises outsmarting the opposition parties. Patnaik’s latest salvo of “Aahar programme for urban poor” from April 1 has caught the two major opposition parties Congress

“We are quite surprised at the announcement of Rs 5 a meal programme. The offer of rice and dalma in the lunch pack is purely a political gimmick to get votes and nothing else. Since elections to the civic bodies in Rourkela, Sambalpur and six Notified Area Councils (NAC) s will be held in a few days time; this has been done to influence the voters,” Congress leader and former Lok Sabha member Pradip Majhi told reporters here.

Majhi further added that the proposed Aahar programme clearly indicated that the number of poor and unemployed has spiraled in the urban areas of the state and hence.

The chief minister on Monday had announced to provide lunch to urban poor at Rs 5 a meal in five cities like Bhubaneswar, Berhampur, Sambalpur, Cuttack and Rourkela to begin with from April 1 onward.

Besides Congress, the BJP, on Tuesday raised doubts over the motive of the Naveen Patnaik government behind announcing Rs 5 a meal Aahar programme for the poor in five major cities in the state.

They dubbed the programme a populist major to influence the urban voters ahead of the municipal elections scheduled to be held later this year.

The BJP said the chief minister could have done justice to the state had he tried to make Odisha free from poverty in the next five years rather than want it to remain poor always.

“We believe that the Naveen Patnaik government wants the people of Odisha to remain poor forever and queue up for Rs 1 kg rice, Rs 5 a square meal, free umbrellas, chappals and blankets. Let the people be in difficulties always and depend on the government always. Has the government ever implemented a single yojana to make Odisha free from poverty and make it self sufficient?” senior BJP leader Suresh Pujari quipped.

The ruling BJD, however, defended the scheme. It said the programme aimed at benefitting the genuinely poor people who do not have the means to buy themselves a meal while they attend the courts and hospitals.

“Aahar scheme is especially meant for poor people visiting hospitals for treatment, to attend court dates, to the collector’s office for some work or for those who are unable to buy a costly meal for themselves at the railway station or the bus stand while travelling,” said BJD legislator Amar Prasad Satpathy.