Bhubaneswar, June 8: The BJP has set its eyes on next year's panchayat polls to spread its organisation to the grassroots level.

Though the decision to fight the panchayat polls with all its might was taken at a meeting of the district office-bearers held at the party office here today, the party will decide its election strategy at its two-day executive committee meet to be held in Sundargarh from June 18.

At today's meeting, the party decided to send workers across the state to educate people about the BJD government's failure to utilise central funds at panchayat level.

District leaders of the BJP today told the state leadership that scarcity of drinking water had hit the lives of the poor badly in the far-flung areas. They have also pointed out that improper use of central funds had hit development at the panchayat level.

Harping on the issues raised at the meeting, BJP spokesperson, Sajaan Sharma said: "The Centre allocates Rs 80 lakh to each panchayat every year, but money has not been spent because of the failure of the administrative machinery at the ground level. The state government's instruction to officials not to spend a single pie without the concurrence of the block development officer has also created a lot of problem in spending the money. By doing this they are trying to remote-control everything."

Sources in the BJP said the party wants to piggy-ride the panchayat polls to set its footprints in the rural pockets.

"We had fared poorly in the last general election despite a wave in favour of Narendra Modi because the party did not have a network at the panchayat level. We will use the panchayat elections to strengthen the organisation at the grassroots level. It will also have an impact in the next general election in 2019," said a senior BJP leader.

The BJD, however, is not ready to pay much importance to the BJP's intentions. BJD spokesperson Amar Satpathy said: "The BJP has been criticising us for last several years. But it has had no impact on the people. The people will continue to repose their faith in Naveen Patnaik."

Even as the BJP works out its plan to take on the BJD, Union surface transport minister Nitin Gadkari will be visiting the state on June 10 to take part in Vikas Utsav.

Cong infighting

Former chief minister and senior Congress leader Hemananda Biswal today accused the Pradesh Congress Committee president Prasad Harichandan of failing to contain growing dissidence within the party.

He said this following a meeting with AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi. He advised the leadership to take senior leaders into confidence to put up a united fight against the BJD government.