MALKANGIRI: Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday came down heavily on Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for rising poverty and acute malnutrition among children in the district.
Addressing a public meeting at the mini-stadium in Maoist hotbed of Kalimela here, Pradhan accused the BJD of failing to utilise Central funds and provide land for expeditious completion of rail and road projects in the State.
Joining the campaign of BJP Nabarangpur Lok Sabha candidate Balabhadra Majhi and Malkangiri Assembly nominee Aditya Madhi, the Union Minister alleged that contrary to the tall claims of BJD, the Naveen-led Government has miserably failed to deliver on its promises in Malkangiri.
“Only Balabhadra Majhi can effectively raise the issues of people of the constituency in the Parliament. He was instrumental in getting the Jeypore-Malkangiri and Jeypore-Nabarangpur railway line projects that were sanctioned during his tenure as MP,” he said and urged people to vote for BJP candidates in the elections.
Pradhan said in Malkangiri, 51 out of every 100 children are suffering from acute malnutrition and 71 out of every 100 women are anaemic. “Is this development for Naveen Patnaik?” Pradhan questioned.
“It is Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA Government at the Centre which has built eight lakh houses under PMAY, 50,000 Individual Household Latrines and completed electrification work in 3,000 villages in Odisha. On the other hand, the BJD Government has failed to successfully implement Central schemes in the State,” he said.
The Minister said, after suffering the 19-year long misrule of BJD, people of Malkangiri and Odisha have seen the performance of BJP Government at the Centre and want a change. “If BJP forms Government both at Centre and in Odisha, development of the State will be fast-tracked.”On the occasion, BJD leader of Motu, Biswanath Reddy joined BJP along with his supporters. At least 10,000 people attended the meeting braving intense heat.