BHUBANESWAR: 5T chairman and BJD leader VK Pandian on Wednesday announced the state government will fight at all levels to declare Padampur a separate district as promised by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
Addressing an election meeting at Padampur, Pandian said the government issued a notification for creation of the new district and land for construction of collector’s office had also been identified. But detractors are trying to deprive people from availing benefits of the new district by going to court, he said adding they will not succeed in their attempt. “The state government will fight at all levels to declare Padampur a separate district,” he added.
Pandian said Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had promised to link Padampur with train service. “You ask him where is the railway junction and if the place for railway station has been identified,” he added.
Criticising the union minister for not keeping promises made by him for Padampur, Pandian said the former had promised to simplify the process of crop insurance but he did nothing for farmers. He said the chief minister had written several times to the Centre to waive GST on kendu leaf but the latter did not pay heed to his request. At last, the state government waived GST on kendu leaf, the 5T chairman said.
Pandian said the Opposition wanted to stop renovation of Samaleswari temple and went to the Supreme Court over the issue. They lodged a case through a poor man and it costs lakhs of rupees to fight a case in the top court. He wondered who financed the poor man to fight the case in the apex court.
The CM went to Supreme Court and won the case after which the Samaleswari temple was renovated, he said adding the Opposition also tried to obstruct the Srimandir Parikrama project but did not succeed.
