BHUBANESWAR: As Union Minister of Human Resource Development (HRD) Prakash Javadekar came harsh on the Naveen Patnaik Government saying there is no democracy in the State, the ruling BJD said the accusations of the BJP leader showed his frustration to the undiminished popularity of the Chief Minister. Countering all allegations of Javadekar against the State Government at a press meet in Berhampur, BJD spokesperson Sasmit Patra said, “It seems that the Union Minister is unable to digest the rapid transformation of the State under the able leadership of Naveen Patnaik.”
Claiming that the State is in a new growth trajectory, Patra reminded the Union Minister that the Central Government has been awarding the State from time to time for its excellent performance in different sectors. While the State was adjudged as the top performer in the country in skill development last year, its performance in rural road construction under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) and rural housing under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) was recognised at national level by the Union Rural Development Minister.
The construction of Grurupriya bridge is another milestone in the long list of achievements of the BJD Government. This apart, the Government had received many national and international recognitions for its remarkable job in disaster risk management, he added. The Union Minister is making baseless allegations against the State Government after realising that his party’s dream of coming to power will remain a dream. Earlier in the day, Javadekar had said there is no democracy in Odisha and the bureaucracy is being used for political gains.
In a series of tweets, the Union Minister blasted the Naveen Patnaik Government for allegedly failing on all fronts. “There is no democracy in Odisha, only BJDcracy. Bureaucracy is being used for political gains. Officers are under tremendous pressure,” one of his tweets said. In another tweet, he said, “Odisha was poor when BJD came to power & State remains poor even after 18 yrs of BJD rule. There is complete neglect of Education, Health & Irrigation.”