KENDRAPARA: The statemnet of collector Smruti Ranjan Pradhan blaming the previous government of not doing development work in the district has snowballed into a major controversy.
Pradhan on Saturday said the district is lagging in all fields, especially in agriculture and industrial development. “I am not naming anyone. I extensively toured every nook and corner of the district after joining as collector four months back and found development works and welfare schemes have not been executed properly in the district,” he had said while addressing a meeting held to mark National Press Day here.
While BJP leaders praised the collector for his statement, it did not go down well with the BJD. “The collector’s statement is correct as the past governments stalled many development works in the district,” said Gitanjali Sethi, a senior BJP leader who had unsuccessfully contested as the candidate of the saffron party from Kendrapara Assembly seat in the last poll.
On the other hand, BJD leader and former chairman of Kendrapara municipality, Dhiren Sahoo said, “The collector being a government servant has no right to criticise the past governments or any leader. During the 24-year-long rule of BJD, the government executed several development projects in the district. In the past, veteran leaders Biju Patnaik, Nalinikanta Mohanty, Bijay Mohapatra, Rabi Ray , Dinabandhu Sahoo, Pratap Deb and others were elected from Kendrapara and they built highways, bridges, roads, colleges, schools and hospitals in the district. We hope the BJP government will follow the footsteps of the leaders for further development of the district.”
Talking to The New Indian Express, Pradhan said, “Four months back, I joined as the collector of the district. I extensively toured many areas of the district and found to my utter surprise that it is lagging behind other districts of the state and I stated the fact in the meeting.”