BJP raises Naveen’s Odia ignorance again

CM’s inability to communicate in Odia unfortunate: Harichandan
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BHUBANESWAR:THE BJP campaign against BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik continued with senior BJP leader Biswabhusan Harichandan on Friday raising questions on Odisha Chief Minister's inability to communicate in his mother tongue, Odia.

Describing Chief Minister's inability to speak and write Odia as unfortunate and an insult to the State, Harichandan said Naveen has no right to continue in his post. "It is a big insult to Odisha. Naveen has no right to rule the State," he said.

The BJP leader said the State Government agreed to declare Odisha as the official language after agitation by different organisations, but the announcement is yet to be implemented. Formation of Language Commission has been delayed and the State Government has also ignored demands from different quarters to make provision of punishment for flouting the Orissa Official Language Act.

Meanwhile, BJD leader and former Rajya Sabha member Baisnab Charan Parida alleged that Naveen is the main obstacle in formation of the Language Commission as he does not know Odia. Parida, who is also president of Odisha Bhasa Suraksha Sammilani, said dharna will be organised infront of all the collectorates on October 16 demanding implementation of Orissa Official Language Act.

Reacting to Harichandan's statement, BJD vice-president and senior Minister Damodor Rout said, "If he (Harichandan) knows Odia very well why the people of Odisha are not making him the Chief Minister? Why he could not become a legislator if he has mastered Odia language? Naveen Patnaik is getting votes because Odisha people trust him and his actions".

BJD spokesperson Sasmit Patra pointed out that Harichandan was a Minister in Naveen's Cabinet from 2000 to 2009. Patra asked why Harichandan had not raised the same issue when he was a minister.

Dama on target for agri sector failure

Bhubaneswar: A day after senior BJD leader and Agriculture Minister Damodar Rout criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's failure to fulfil poll promises, the BJP on Friday raised questions on the State Government's lack of performance during the last 17 years. Referring to the failure of the State Government in the agriculture sector, State BJP secretary Lekhashree Samantsinghar quoted Rout's reply in the State Assembly to point out that not a single cold storage was constructed during the last 17 years. The State had 5 functioning and 12 defunct cold storages in 2000, the BJP leader said and added that the number of functioning cold storages remained the same in 2017. However, the defunct cold storages increased to 13 from 12 during the period, she said.Lekhashree also criticised the State Government for its failure to fulfil poll promises on creating irrigation potential from 200 onwards. Though 70 pc of Odisha's population depends on agriculture for livelihood, the sector's contribution to State's economy is only 15 pc, she added.She demanded that Odisha should admit suicide by farmers because of crop damage and loan burden so that the families of the deceased can be paid compensation.

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