BJD Spent ₹1,206 Crore on Jute Bags, Financial Aid Before 2024 Polls, Reveals Minister

Bhubaneswar: Ex-CM Naveen Patnaik’s BJD government spent ₹1,206 crore on jute bags and financial aid for Public Distribution System (PDS) beneficiaries before the 2024 General Elections, revealed Food Supplies & Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra in the Odisha Assembly on Wednesday.

Responding to a question, Patra disclosed that ₹247.36 crore was allocated for 2 crore jute bags, distributed to around 96 lakh PDS beneficiaries. Additionally, ₹1,000 was provided to each family, resulting in an additional ₹959.5 crore expenditure from the state treasury.

The BJD justified the jute bag distribution as an initiative to reduce plastic usage, but the Opposition criticised it as an election strategy. Despite this significant expenditure, the BJD lost the election, allowing the BJP to secure power for the first time since Independence.

The Naveen Patnaik administration has also faced allegations of excessive spending on advertisements and other welfare schemes.