Centre spends Rs 450 Cr per month on Re 1 Rice Scheme: PM Modi

ONI Bureau: While speaking at a public rally in Talcher, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sought to demolish the claims made by Naveen Patnaik-led BJD Government in Odisha, saying it’s the Centre which is sponsoring the scheme.

“We never wanted to seek credit, but we are being forced to do it. Yes, Centre is paying Rs 25-30 per month on the Re 1 Rice Scheme in Odisha. We are spending Rs 450 crore per month,” he said, giving a clear hint that BJP would now go for an all out war in Odisha.

Re 1 Rice Scheme has been extremely popular and helped Naveen Patnaik and BJD strike an emotional chord with the people and win elections. The previous Congress-led UPA regime failed to take advantage of the scheme, which was introduced during their government.

Meanwhile, BJD leader Arun Sahoo has hit back, saying Centre is not paying from its pocket, rather it’s the money they get from Odisha through various taxes and revenue.