Congress has been the role model for corruption in India, said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik here on Wednesday.
Addressing a public gathering at Remuna in Balasore district on Wednesday, Naveen said it is the Congress which had initiated all corrupt activities in the country and was responsible for the poor state of Odisha.
“Citizens of the country are battling with the rising prices of essential commodities including fuel only because of the faulty policies of the Centre led by Congress. Aam admi has been the most neglected,” he said.
Throwing barbs at the Centre, the Chief Minister blamed the UPA Government for its indifferent attitude towards the State.
He said while the states like UP, Bihar and West Bengal were provided special packages, poorer states like Odisha was deprived of the special category state status despite repeated demands.
Naveen said the State had been focusing on the development of both agricultural and industrial sectors and taking different steps for the welfare of farmers. He reiterated that the State Government had been extensively working on upgrading the sectors like health, irrigation, education, communication, electrification and drinking water in the State.
“We have introduced welfare schemes like Mamata, Madhubabu Pension Yojana, electrification under Biju Jyoti Yojana, Mo Kudia and rice at Rs 2-a-kg for the poor. While the student dropout ratio has remarkably reduced, children of the tribal communities and backward sections are given more opportunities,” he said.
Naveen was here to inaugurate the Talasari beach festival. Besides, he inaugurated a series of projects and laid foundation stones for many during his five-hour whirlwind tour of the district.
He inaugurated Baliapal tehsil office building, Rajiv Gandhi seva kendra inside Baliapal block office campus and a newly built police station at Bhogarai.
He also laid foundation stones for bridges over Gangahar river at Sahadagadia ghat to be built at a cost of Rs 3.46 crore and over Chitei river in Baliapal besides a multipurpose cyclone shelter at Hasimpur and a revenue rest shed at Chandneswar.
Among others, Urban Development Minister Raghunath Mohanty, MLAs Ananta Das, Jiban Pradip Dash, Sudarshan Jena and Biju Yuva Janata Dal district president Jajati Das accompanied Naveen.