BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik on Saturday asked the elected panchayat representatives of the party to help weaker sections of people in their areas.
The Chief Minister reviewed the panchayat poll performance of BJD in Rayagada and Nuapada districts, which was the last day of the exercise. Naveen asked the senior leaders of both the districts to organise the party at the booth-level and submit report to him within a month.
Zilla Parishad members and other panchayat representatives from Nuapada district drew the attention of the Chief Minister to the acute water crisis in their areas and demanded that steps should be initiated to provide drinking water to 80 per cent of the villages. They maintained that more beneficiaries from the district should be covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).
Besides, the panchayat representatives demanded a barrage over Udanti river. Other issues raised by them included intake of flouride contaminated water by people of Komna and immediate repair of bridge on Komna-Balangir road.
Representatives from Rayagada raised the issue of shortage of doctors and demanded opening of more bank branches in the rural areas of the district. They maintained that all panchayat representatives should be made aware about the welfare schemes of the State Government. Some of them alleged that actual beneficiaries are not getting benefit from the Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana because of the discrepancies in the SECC list.
Other issues raised by the representatives included inclusion of autorickshaw drivers under NFSA, distribution of land to landless, creation of irrigation potential and hike in wages of the labourers.
Naveen assured the representatives that issues raised by them will be resolved soon. He said the next meeting on their performance will be held after six months. BJD vice-president and Minister Surya Narayan Patro, general secretary Arun Sahu, MPs Jhina Hikaka and Bhaskar Rao, MLA Debasis Samantray and State working committee member Bijay Nayak were present.