Bhubaneswar, Oct. 2: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik today launched an attack on the UPA led-government accusing it of ignoring Orissa and describing it as a “burden on the country.”

Launching a seven-day padayatra from a slum near Baya Baba Matha Square at Unit-IX today on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, Naveen said the Centre had forgotten its constitutional obligation of helping states in a federal structure.

“The Centre seems to have forgotten its obligation towards a backward state like Orissa. The state has been neglected both in railways and mining sector. The people of Orissa are not getting any benefit from mineral resources of the state. The people will not be benefited from the new mining bill,” Naveen said.

The Congress, on the other hand, sought to counter the ruling party by staging a silent protest in the 314 block headquarters and 103 urban local bodies against the state government’s involvement in a number of scams during the past 12 years and its failure to provide relief to flood victims.

Naveen tried to strike a chord with the people moving away from his written speech and speaking to them informally in Hindi most of the time. “Thoda samjho. We are spending Rs 800 to continue with the rice at Rs 2 per-kg scheme. If we get Rs 10,000 crore from mining sector, your lives can be changed,” he said.

Coming down heavily on the mining bill, Naveen said: “We are not begging from the Centre for money. The mining bill should have provisions to ensure that mine owners give 50 per cent of their profit to the state, which can later be utilised for the growth of the state.”

Stating that mine owners from Orissa are getting a huge profit from the mining sector, he said: “The minerals are being exported to China. The Union cabinet ignored our government’s proposal. Though I wrote a letter to the Prime Minister on this issue, it was not given attention.”

Naveen also highlighted the various welfare programmes initiated by the government.

“Our aim is to protect the interests of Orissa. The state with its own resources has launched a number of welfare measures including Biju KBK Yojana, Biju Saharanchala Jojana, Mo Kudia Yojana,” said Naveen.

Naveen also emphasised that the state government was trying hard to give tribals their rights. “Orissa is the number one in the country when it comes to implementation of the Forest Rights Act,” he said.

BJD’s second-in-command and Rajya Sabha member Pyari Mohan Mohapatra also criticised the Centre. “The Opposition should join hands and raise issues concerning Orissa,” Mohapatra said.

On the other hand, state Congress president Niranjan Patnaik said: “The government embroiled in corruption cases is desperately trying to salvage its image. They are enacting a drama and crying hoarse about the Centre’s alleged neglect of Orissa.”