BHUBANESWAR: Even before Niranjan Patnaik has settled down with his new responsibility of president of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC), he faces new challenges. The letter written by chairperson of the manifesto committee Srikant Jena to Patnaik a couple of days back suggesting what should be the preamble of the party manifesto for the 2019 elections is likely to create more problems for the party rather than help in strengthening the organisation which has remained dormant for the last several years. Jena has suggested three points in the letter to Patnaik and described it as the preamble of manifesto for the 2019 election.
“The Congress, if voted to power, will select chief minister and two deputy chief ministers from among OBC/ SEBC (54%), SC (16%) and ST (22.5%) communities. This will enable equitable representation for all section of the society since these communities are collectively 92 per cent of the Odisha’s population and ensure the rule of Bahujan,” Jena wrote in his letter to Patnaik, a copy of which was also sent to party’s Odisha in-charge Jitendra Prasad. A majority of partymen have dismissed such a letter as premature as nobody knows what will be the performance of Congress in 2019 elections. Besides, this is not yet the time to discuss party’s manifesto in public.
However, the first point if incorporated in the manifesto will deprive Patnaik and working presidents Naba Kishore Das and Chiranjib Biswal from the posts of chief minister or deputy chief minister. The target of the second point suggested by Jena is obvious. The second point described as economic justice says, “The Congress will liberate the State and its socio-economic life from the stranglehold of mining mafias and ensure that the mineral wealth of Odisha is used for welfare of its people.
Illegal mining operators have looted Odisha’s mineral wealth over the years (as per the Shah Commission Report in 2012, this was in excess of `two lakh crore.” Jena further adds in addition to cancelling all mining leases and transferring them to the State Government, the Congress Government will confiscate the properties of all illegal mine owners and transfer the assets to a People’s Welfare Fund which will be invested in education, health and infrastructure.
The third point said, “The Congress will implement within 30 days of taking office, the recommendations for Mandal Commission for OBC/SEBC in employment and education. In addition, the reservation of SC/ ST in technical and medical education will be increased to 38.5 per cent as mandated by the Constitution. Patnaik, however, said work is yet to be started for preparing the manifesto. He said manifesto will be prepared in consultation with people of the State and not sitting at Bhubaneswar.