BHAWANIPATNA/BHUBANESWAR: In a scathing attack on the BJD government in the state, BJP president JP Nadda on Friday alleged that chief minister Naveen Patnaik has outsourced the state’s governance to officers.
Addressing the Garib Kalyan Samabesh at Bhawanipatna in Kalahandi district to mark the completion of nine years of Modi government at the Centre, the BJP president said the Odisha government was now running without a leader.
“Who is the leader, we do not know. We don’t know whether there is any leader or officers running the show. Here, nobody listens to BJD MLAs and MPs and only officers are ruling. Naveen Patnaik has sublet everything to officers. The total administration has been outsourced here,” he alleged.
Stating that Odisha is a state where people have voted for someone, but are being ruled by somebody else, Nadda asked whether people want such a government. “Do we want such government in Odisha? People of Odisha vote for someone while another dictates. Time has come to ensure that we form a government both at the Centre and here in Odisha,” he said.
Alleging that corruption has become rampant in Odisha during the 23-year BJD rule, Nadda said it has degenerated into a 50 per cent ‘commission’ state. Odisha has the lowest per capita income while farmers’ income is low and crime against women is highest.
Alleging that genuine beneficiaries are not getting houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), the BJP president said the Centre will probe into the scam. “I will speak to Union Panchayati Raj minister Giriraj Singh. Those involved in the scam will be put behind bars,” he said.
Nadda also referred to the Ayushman Bharat Yojana and said while 11 crore people of the country have benefitted from the health scheme, the people of Odisha have been deprived as the chief minister is not implementing it. “Everyone is aware of the importance of the scheme, but the chief minister does not understand. The scheme aims to provide `5 lakh health insurance coverage per family,” he said.
Stating that Odisha has become a backward state under the BJD rule, Nadda said that out of the 4.5 crore people of the state, 3.5 crores get rice from the Pradhan Mantri Garib Anna Kalyan Yojana. “Where have you taken the state?” he asked.
Earlier on the day, Nadda flew to Bhawanipatna in a special chopper from Burla and offered prayers at Maa Manikeswari temple before he was escorted in a grand rally to the meeting venue. He also held discussions with BJP leaders of the Kalahandi Lok Sabha seat and met some prominent citizens before leaving for New Delhi.
Nadda was on a two-day visit to the state. He reviewed the organisational preparedness of the party at Jharsuguda on Thursday.