BHUBANESWAR: The Congress on Sunday accused the BJD Government in the State of working only to protect the interests of the ruling party. After chairpersons of the State Commission for Women (SCW) and the State Commission for Persons with Disabilities resigned, they were appointed as office bearers of the women’s wing of BJD in order to strengthen the party, president of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Niranjan Patnaik said.
Patnaik said the BJD Government is neglecting people’s welfare and rapidly losing its popularity ahead of the 2019 elections. Stating that the BJD Government is not serious about the appointment of Lokayukta in the State or running Anganwadi centres in a proper manner, he said it is now trying only to save its base which is shrinking with each passing day.
“The focus of the Government is entirely on party organisation while common good is being sidelined,” he said. Social activist Minati Behera quit the post of chairperson of the State Commission for Persons with Disabilities on November 11 and became president of the women’s wing of BJD. Similarly, chairperson of SCW Lopamudra Baxipatra, who resigned from the post on the same day, was appointed as a working president of Biju Mahila Janata Dal.
Criticising the State Government for lack of sincerity about the appointment of Lokayukta, Patnaik alleged that the process is being delayed despite the Supreme Court’s repeated reminders reflecting the Government’s disregard for a constitutional system. The State Government had passed a Bill four years back for the appointment of Lokayukta and the President had also given his consent to it in 2015. But Lokayukta is yet to be appointed in the State, he said.
Though the BJD Government always talks of development, the child welfare scheme in the State is in doldrums. Though the Government is providing uniform, bicycles and laptops to students free of cost, it has done little at the grassroots level, he said. Alleging that around half of the 71,000 Anganwadi centres in the State do not have their own buildings, the OPCC president said many of these centres are being run from rented buildings, temple premises and community halls. Odisha Building and Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Board chairperson Subash Singh’s tenure ended around seven months back, but the post is still lying vacant, he added.