BHUBANESWAR/BERHAMPUR: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday slammed the Opposition BJD for questioning the achievements of his government in the last nine months.
Disbursing the second instalment of funds under Subhadra Yojana to over one crore women on the occasion of International Women’s Day in Berhampur, the chief minister said it was a matter of joy that within three months of starting the scheme, his government has been able to provide the second instalment of the promised Rs 50,000 to the women beneficiaries.
“I would like to remind our critics that a baby takes nine months to be born. Our government will complete nine months in another four days. But, we have accomplished so much for the people of Odisha during such a short span of time that they can’t even believe it,” Majhi stated.
He said the Opposition was unable to digest the success of the BJP government as they could not provide farmers any succour during their regime. “It took the double-engine government to provide an input subsidy of Rs 800 per quintal over and above the MSP within 24 minutes of taking office,” he said.
Highlighting other initiatives like supporting marriages of daughters of poor families and providing free Jagannath darshan to the common people, the chief minister said Subhadra scheme is not just about providing assistance twice a year but marks a revolution. “This will ignite a new ray of hope and trust in the minds of every Subhadra in the state. This initiative is part of the state government’s effort to empower women by ensuring their economic independence and overall well-being,” he asserted.
Sending a stern message against violence and harassment of women, Majhi said that people who commit such crimes are not only enemies of the government but also of society. “They don’t deserve a place in civilised society, rather behind bars. Instructions have been issued to officials concerned to take strict action against such offenders,” he said.
Asserting that his government has already created five lakh ‘Lakhpati Didis’ in the state, the chief minister said, “We aim to create at least 25 lakh Lakhpati Didis in Odisha by 2027.”
He inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for various development projects worth over Rs 638 crore in Ganjam district during the event. These projects include water supply schemes, road improvements, bridge construction, check dams, health centres and institutional storage projects.
Among others, deputy chief ministers KV Singh Deo and Parvati Parida, several ministers, MPs and MLAs were present.