Bhubaneswar, Feb. 10: Union minister of state for rural development Ramkripal Yadav today charged the state government of depriving the people of Odisha of benefits due to non-utilisation of central funds.

"The central government had made provisions amounting to Rs 2,217.39 crore under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana to build 2.96 lakh houses in 2016-17. However, the Odisha government has been able to fulfil only 21.27 per cent of the target," Yadav said.

The Union minister, who is campaigning for BJP candidates in the panchayat polls, said: "Naveen Patnaik has been ruling Odisha since the past 17 years. However, he does not have interest to address the problems of the poor."

Yadav alleged that the Odisha government was diverting funds from the Centre's Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and Indira Awas Yojana to its own Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana. "The Odisha government is claiming that it has built 10 lakh concrete houses in the past two-and-a-half years. However, actually three lakh houses have been built in the past three years. Of these, most have been built with central funds," he said, seeking details of utilisation of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana funds.

Reacting to Yadav's allegations, BJD spokesperson Raseswari Panigrahi said: "Everything is in public domain."

Stating that the Narendra Modi government had stopped several welfare schemes, Panigrahi said: "The Centre has no moral right to speak for the poor."

The BJD today decided to stage dharna at the headquarters of Sundargarh and Nuapada districts, where Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh is scheduled to campaign tomorrow.

In another development, the State Election Commission has sought a report from the Jharsuguda district collector and the police superintendent on the seizure of cash from a campaign vehicle. The commission directed both the officials to probe and take action if electoral offence was proved.

On February 8, cash worth Rs 88,710, along with campaign materials and a vehicle, was seized from one Goutam Pradhan from the roadside at Punjipathar in Jharsuguda district. In another incident, Rengali police had detained Debraj Barik, 38, and Babaji Barik, 28, on the charge of distributing money in Pithinda gram panchayat. An amount of Rs 12.3 lakh cash and a vehicle was seized from them.

Today, a BJP delegation met the commission and alleged that the BJD was distributing money to purchase votes in violation of the model code of conduct.