Newly-formed political outfit Utkal Bharat on Wednesday promised to make Odisha vibrant a la Gujarat with its available resources, but not beg for a Special Category Status before the Centre.
Utkal Bharat president Kharabela Swain said with the available resources, the State can be developed. “Our main focus will be enhancement of per capita income through which poverty can be eradicated,” he said.
If voted to power, Swain said the party would provide good governance and justice for all. “We promise to build massive infrastructure such as roads, provide 24-hour electricity, improve the standard of education starting from primary to higher levels and technical education,” he added.
Stressing on economic development of rural women, the three-time MP from Balasore said Self-Help Groups would be trained properly to increase their productivity through loans and market linkage to sale their products.
Criticising the Government for not preparing the BPL list, Swain said his party would first revise the BPL list.
“Our core vote group will be the poor, farmers, middle class and educated youths. We will make the BPL people a new middle class, slightly below the middle class and above the BPL category,” Swain said, adding that Utkal Bharat will be a national party and there would be no pre or post poll alliance with any outfit.
Utkal Bharat has so far selected 50 MLA candidates and it expects that the names of 97 other candidates, besides the names for 21 Lok Sabha constituencies, will be ready within the next four months.
