The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) has decided to launch an awareness campaign among the people about the 17 flagship programmes launched by the Centre to counter Biju Janata Dal’s (BJD) campaign on central neglect of Odisha.
This was decided at a meeting of the office-bearers of the State Congress, presided over by OPCC president Niranjan Patnaik, held on Friday. The functioning of the office-bearers were reviewed at the meeting for the first time.
The State Congress is making a serious bid to capture power in the 2014 elections. Besides, it has also decided to give a stiff challenge to the BJD in the 2013 urban body polls. The State leadership has decided to keep the party in a poll mode as the two elections are approaching.
A decision was taken to strengthen the district organisations in view of the elections. The party rank and file has been demoralised because of the defeat in the last year’s panchayat polls.
The OPCC president has directed the office-bearers to visit the districts in their charge within the next 15 days.
It was decided that the review of the organisational activities at the block level will be completed by September. The State executive of the party has also decided to launch a Statewide agitation in the coming days over several issues.
These include the rapidly deteriorating law and order situation, the State Government’s inaction to prevent suicide by farmers and the anti-Dalit stand of the BJD on several instances.
Criticising the State Government for its failure to tackle the growing Naxalite activities despite assistance from the Centre, a senior Congress leader alleged that Maoists have spread their base to as many as 20 districts from two districts some years back.