It was on this day of 1997 that a small political party was born in the name of legendary peoples’ leader and architect of modern Odisha, Biju Patnaik – the Biju Janata Dal. Led by his able son Naveen Patnaik, the small political party was destined to emerge as a formidable force in the development of the state in the 21st century. Today, as the party celebrates its 25th foundation day, Odisha looks up to its leader with love and enthusiasm. In its journey of more than two decades, the Biju Janata Dal under the leadership of Naveen Patnaik, has put the state on a transformation trajectory that has no looking back and is on a determined path to sustainable and equitable development. With the sole aim of welfare of the common man, the Biju Janata Dal has been striving hard to make the lives of the people more easy and happy.
Change is as natural as life, and taking this change as an opportunity, the Biju Janata Dal has transformed itself as a force to reckon with. Since coming to power under the leadership of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, the party has been at the helm without any challenge. Value-based politics and commitment to the development of Odisha and its people has been the sole aim of the party. BJD has a staunch secular and democratic outlook, and has always taken a firm and unequivocal stand against communal forces. It has always been top on the agenda of the party, since its inception, to fight against corruption in public life and the deliberate and wilful neglect of the State by successive Governments at the Centre. Biju Janata Dal believes in continuously working towards the upliftment of weaker sections of society and fighting against social injustice. The Party has always stood for, supported and advocated in favour of women, youths, farmers, labourers, religious minorities, and the weaker/backward sections of the society.
Biju Janata Dal has been right on the path to make the dreams of legendary Biju Patnaik a reality, which aims at building a new Odisha that is inclusive and protect the dignity and self-respect of the four and half crore Odias. In its service to the people of Odisha, Biju Janata Dal has adopted some pathbreaking strategies and principles that continue to guide the state’s growth and development. Equitable development of all, empowerment of women through pragmatic interventions, financial assistance to farming community, free and universal healthcare, transformation of education, prioritising conservation of culture and religious ethos, adopting technological developments for development etc., are some of the examples that are driving the delivery of the state’s welfare ambitions. The party has been able to keep itself abreast with the pace and imperatives of the passing times and has kept curatingthe transformation agenda.
Women Empowerment; Leading From The Front
According to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, no household, society, State and country has ever moved forward without empowering its women. In its endeavour to empower and provide equitable opportunities to women, following the footsteps of late Biju Patnaik, who in 1992 reserved 33 per cent of seats for women in the panchayats and urban polls in Odisha, Biju Janata Dal in 2019 elections decided to field 33 percent women candidates in the General Elections. This was for the first time in the country that a political party truly kept its promise made for political empowerment of women. The party has also been in the forefront in demanding 33 percent reservation of seats for women in all assemblies and the Parliament. It has been continuously pursuing the matter in various forums in the country.
On the ground too, Odisha has been on the forefront in economically empowering women. Its flagship Mission Shakti program has successfully empowered more than 70 lakh women of the state. They are today driving the rural economy of Odisha through Self Help Groups. It is indeed a splendid example for rest of the country. The mighty movement for women’s empowerment in the State was unleashed when Self Help Groups were established within five years of the party formationin 1997.
Today, as the party celebrates its 25th anniversary, the leaders and rank and file of the party and the whole State of Odisha note with satisfaction that the SHGs have now in their fold seven million women. They have heralded a new vision, hope and shown a road map for greater empowerment of women. All such wide-spectrum activities constitute the social engineering which is transforming society and economy in a decisive way for achieving positive social changes which are of lasting significance.
Transforming Healthcare Service Delivery
Keeping in tune with the changing times, the government of Odisha led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has been on a transformative path in healthcare service delivery. Odisha has witnessed incredible transformation in the last two decades. Never before in the history of Odisha has an overhauling of healthcare facilities been undertaken as in the last two decades. Continuing its endeavour for free universal healthcare to all its citizens, Odisha has been trying its best to transform the sector with purpose and vigour. The development of the health infrastructure got more impetus especially after the commencement of the 5T Initiatives. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s vision for this mission can be seen in the various infrastructure development projects undertaken in every nook and corner of the state. Not only urban areas are seeing a revolutionary change in healthcare delivery, village and district level hospitals have been included in the transformation program. The priority given to healthcare sector can be judged by the fact that more than ten percent of the state’s budget is earmarked for health related activities. In the 2021-22 budget, Odisha government allocated an amount of Rs 9,164 crore for public healthcare with an increase of about 19% over the previous year.
The impact of 5T Initiatives on healthcare development of the state is clearly visible on the ground with all major hospitals being upgraded with state of the art facilities. The biggest initiative of the Government of Odisha in the healthcare sector is the transformation of the SCB Medical College and Hospital into an AIIMS Plus category hospital with an expenditure of Rs 3500 Crore. The developed hospital will have more than 5000 beds by 2024. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has been directly monitoring the development works of SCB Medical College and the three year time set for the completion of the project is being methodically pursued and monitored and is seemingly on track. Besides infrastructure development, the state government has also planned to bring changes in the healthcare system. The objective is to facilitate best of the healthcare facility to the common people within the state,”. He has also said that the redevelopment of SCB will be an example in offering quality healthcare services and medical education in the country and the intent is to place the SCB Medical College and Hospital among the best three healthcare institutions of the country.
As part of the big push for infrastructure development of state medicals along with the setting up of new medical colleges in various backward districts [like, for example, Kandhamal] will transform the healthcare delivery mechanism in Odisha. The investments in the healthcare sector have already started paying dividends. Gone are the days when patients were harassed in hospitals and middlemen played the spoilsport. With the path-breaking ‘Mo Sarkar’ program under 5T Initiatives – a brainchild of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik – the Government is taking feedback from patients on the various parameters that affect the functioning of a hospital and, basis the same, is force-changing the behaviour of the medical staff with the patients and the attendants.
BSKY: Harnessing Technology To Provide Smart health Services
In the quest for bringing in Universal Healthcare in Odisha, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched the ambitious Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana on the auspicious occasion of the 72nd Independence Day in 2018. The aim was to provide best of the healthcare services to more than 90 lakh families of Odisha. In just three years, since its launch, the Biju Swasthhya Kalyan Yojana has brought under its fold more than 96 lakh families constituting more than three and half crore people of the state. The revolutionary step has helped millions of people in getting free treatment in both government and private hospitals. Exactly after three years of its launch, the revolutionary Smart Health Cards have been launched in the state. The Government of Odisha will provide more than three and a half crore beneficiaries with Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana Smart Health Cards – again a first in the country. The Digital Smart Card will provide annual health insurance coverage of Rs 5 lakh per family (Rs 10 lakh for female members).
The initiative will harness the technological developments in providing health services to the citizens. The total scheme is being digitized and all beneficiaries will be issued chip based smart cards which can provide instant access to healthcare services at all government hospitals and more than 200 private hospitals both in Odisha and outside.
Odisha’s fight against the Covid-19 pandemic has been successfully steered under the leadership of Naveen Patnaik. Today, when the world is fighting a war against Coronavirus and there has been significant loss to mankind, Odisha demonstrated that the adversary can be tamed and precious lives can be saved. While the governments around the world tried their best to contain the disease, Odisha, led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, approached the crisis in a truly positive spirit and successfully demonstrated that problems can be tackled easily with disciplined management. The World Health Organization (WHO) has appreciated Odisha for its successful and efficient COVID management.
Transforming Schools To Prepare Citizens of Tomorrow
Better Education, to Prepare Better Citizens. One of Odisha government’s most ambitious programs to revamp the school education system is the 5T High School Transformation program. As part of this, in the first phase, more than one thousand schools have been transformed into new age digital learning centres. The state government aspires to transform another 3,300 schools to reach its target of transforming 4,375 schools by Biju Patnaik’s birth anniversary in March 2022. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has said that “It is the common responsibility of all of us to help the children realize their dreams and it is dreams that chart the way forward in student life.” The intention is to create opportunities for the development of the skills of the students.
This project wants to change the traditional schools into technology driven learning centres where students are provided with the best education to make them better citizens. The government has made an allocation of Rs 253 Crore under ‘Mo School Program’ for infrastructure development of schools in various districts in the financial year 2021-22.
As part of this, initially schools from each block are being selected and developmental works undertaken to transform them. The schools will be equipped with modern facilities such as Smart Classrooms, e-library, science laboratory, sports facilities, reading rooms, computer labs and other facilities. The overall look and feel of the school buildings are also being upgraded with new furniture, digital white boards, greenery and facilities such as clean drinking water, toilets and rest rooms. What makes it a winning project is the government is undertaking all the developmental activities in the schools by taking along all stakeholders such as governing body members, teachers, panchayat representatives, parents and the school students.
Another notable initiative that has been brought under the fold of 5T Initiatives is the transformation of the Adarsha Vidyalayas of the state. About 215 CBSE affiliated Adarsha Vidyalayas are providing best education to more than 58,712 underprivileged children from class VI through XII. What makes it a successful and unique effort is the enrolment of more girls in these co-educational residential schools. Odisha launched an unprecedented initiative to provide free quality education to underprivileged children through CBSE affiliated English-medium schools so that no deserving child of Odisha is deprived of his/her right to learn. The principles of 5T – Teamwork, Technology, Transparency, Time bringing in Transformation – are writ large here.
Reviving and Transforming the Corridors of Heritage
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s decision to transform the pilgrim city of Puri into a World Heritage City by developing the areas surrounding the Jagannath temple and various other places including the Swarga-Dwara has resulted in the Sri-Kshetra getting its pride of place. It has added a glorious chapter in the tourism development and religious history of Odisha. The government of Odisha has initiated a massive development program for this holy city which entails an expenditure of more than 3000 crore rupees. An important part of this initiative is to first overhaul the immediate surroundings of the Srimandira by clearing commercial buildings and old dilapidated structures within 75 meters of the sacred shrine. In the last two years, the magnificence and majesty of the sacred temple of Lord Jagannath has been reinstated with the restoration of the expansive space surrounding the shrine which attracts devotees and visitors from across the world. The government of Odisha, under the aegis of the scheme called ABADHA [Augmentation of Basic Amenities and Development of Heritage and Architecture], intends to develop various infrastructure projects in three years. Pilgrims coming to the land of Lord Jagannath are going to have a pleasant experience hereafter in view of the transformation initiatives underway in Puri.
While the process has already started with a definitive objective, devotees are already experiencing the change. With the Odisha Government on a fast-track mode to transform the pilgrim city of Puri into a World Heritage City, a special beautification drive has also been initiated around the Jagannath temple. The temple city transformation plan includes creating better infrastructure for pilgrims and providing security cover to the centuries old Lord Jagannath Temple. As part of the transformation initiative, the administration is putting up sheds for darshan-queue by pilgrims and lanes have been created for better management of pilgrim rush. The new initiatives and the consequent visible make-overs have been lauded by Puri citizens and incoming devotees alike.
Swarga-Dwara, the revered crematorium for Hindus of the state and beyond, has already been converted into one of the tidiest and modern crematoriums of the country with all user-friendly facilities. Literally meaning the Gateway to Heaven, Swarga Dwara has undergone a transformation process for the last one and half year under Odisha Government’s ambitious 5T Initiative and has become a part of the grand Heritage Corridor Project. The Swarga Dwara Development project included a massive two storied structure sitting on 1.3 acre land. The ground floor of the structure has 28 funeral pyre platforms, wood storage facility and the wood counter. Also, it has sufficient space for rituals conducted before the cremation. The first floor of the structure will house the Manager’s Room, waiting hall for the people coming from various places and a cafeteria. There will also be an administration block which will have the seats for the officials. Keeping in view the need, the place will also have a separate space for the Sankaracharya. The open spaces will have plantation and landscaping to aesthetically go with the structure.
In addition, huge infrastructure and beautification programs have also been planned for the city. Multi-lane roads, flyover bridges, multi- level parking systems, amenities for devotees of Lord Jagannath, revival of the Musa River, rehabilitation of affected families in security zone, renovation of existing lakes with creation of a new lake and renovation of mutts have been included in the package. The district administration has started implementing what the Chief Minister’s dream to transform the city.
Similarly, the development of the sacred Lingaraj Temple in Bhubaneswar is another major initiative of the government as part of the transformation process. For Lingaraj Temple, the government has prepared the Ekamra Kshetra Redevelopment Plan and has started works to develop an area of 66 acres. The redevelopment plan includes preserving heritage and development of the nine sites and their nearby areas with an expenditure of around Rs 700 crore.
While the Jagannath and Lingaraj Temle are the biggest ones that are undergoing transformation, the Government of Odisha has also taken up the development of the other temples that have significance. Taratarini temple in Ganjam, Samalei Temple in Sambalpur, Baladevjew Temple in Kendrapada etc. are some of the other temples that have also been included for development. In addition to this, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has ordered for the development of Pilgrim Amenities at various religious institutions of the state. The State Government has also allotted funds for repair and beautification of several mosques and churches. It affirms Naveen Government’s commitment to respect all faiths equally and uphold the multi-culture, secular spirit of the country.
People-centric Governance Agenda To Ensure People Remain The Real Masters
Governance – good governance – has been the key. The steady transformation of the government and the service delivery mechanism is a result of Naveen’s people-centric governance agenda. The agenda looks at the common man as the master and the government is there to serve them. Today’s new Odisha is a confident state that is working for the betterment of the people without depending on others. The transformation of the state is not confined to any single sphere or department but overall. All the elements of a welfare state are imbibed in the transformation agenda. At the core is the corpus of Gandhian Principles and values of politics and governance. The proven outcome of the 5T Initiatives and its Mo Sarkar Charter can be seen in all the areas of governance of the state today.
Odisha Government’s most ambitious transformation creativity – the 5T Initiative – also includes the ‘Mo Sarkar’ charter which is responsibly aimed at, and geared to, transforming the thinking and tools associated with the governance of the state. The historic initiative named ‘Mo Sarkar’ intends to make governance people-centric. It reaffirms that the common people are the masters and the people’s representatives and public officials are there to serve them only. ‘Mo Sarkar’ empowers the common man visiting the government offices to be treated with dignity and get all his grievances solved with sincerity and in a time-bound manner. Its main function is to bring about attitudinal alteration in the way the Government functions. The five Ts – Technology, Transparency, Timely Completion of Work, Team Work and Transformation – remain at the centre of the idea of ‘Mo Sarkar’ to make the government accountable to its citizens.
Under the aegis of the Mo Sarkar program, various departments of the state government have witnessed tremendous change in the last two years. Particularly, the service delivery mechanism in Police stations, Hospitals, Revenue Department offices – the three immediate fields impinging on the daily lives of citizens – have witnessed a complete transformation. In less than two years all Police stations and Hospitals have been brought under the purview of the Mo Sarkar Charter to ensure proper service delivery and feedback. The citizens now do not have to run to a police station again and again for registering a complaint. Rather the police will be following up the complainant. Each and every complainant will be dealt with dignity.
Preferred Investment Destination Of the Country
Good politics can lead to good economics and Odisha has proved this. The more than two decades of uninterrupted and growth-oriented economic policies and governance initiatives have helped the state to be the number one investment destination in the country. The able leadership of Naveen Patnaik has led to a number of innovative steps and streamlined the business ecosystem to attract sizeable investments into the State.
Odisha has been able to leverage its resources and locational advantages to pump in funds on the ground, with transparency, accountability and increased efficiency.The soft spoken Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik has been instrumental in bringing about the State’s amazing turnaround. Odisha is now a regional hub in many sectors ranging from education to sports and healthcare. Besides, it has also emerged as a major player in information technology industry as well. Its talent pool is one of the best in the country which attracts the investors.
Odisha Government’s early focus on leveraging iron ore and bauxite resources to boost downstream value-addition has triggered the development of other sectors such as petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals and food-processing. In tandem, Naveen Patnaik has also launched a slew of path-breaking social policies like “Mo Sarkar” for bringing in more transparency in governance and the system in place. Naveen Patnaik, who makes it a point to be friendly across the political divide, has appeared to hold lessons for other chief ministers to follow.
In the first half of FY 20 Odisha attracted about 18 percent of the total investments the country received. During the dampened times of Covid-19 pandemic, Odisha approved some of the largest investment proposals in the state. Naveen’s government approved investment proposals worth more than 92 thousand crore rupees in one go that have a potential to give employment to more than 31,979 Persons.
The trickle-down effects of economic development on other sectors is also visible clearly. The agriculture sector in Odisha witnessed a growth rate of 7.61 per cent outpacing the national average of 2.80 per cent. Odisha has also received the prestigious Krushikarman award for outstanding performance in agriculture sector many a times in the last decade.
Transforming Odisha Into The Sports Hub of the Country
The energy of the Odishan youth and its ever-increasing skill-set cannot be harnessed without the development of its sports infrastructure. Odisha’s transformation story goes parallel to the development of sports infrastructure in the state. From being a non-entity in sports and athletics activities two decades ago, Odisha has transformed itself into the sports capital of the country. Successful organization of many national and international sporting events at regular intervals proves that Odisha’s day has come as a major destination for sports activities.
This transformative journey of Odisha Sports started way back in 2010-11 when the Chief Minister’s Private secretary VK Pandian joined CM’s Office and the two sports lovers (CM is a great lover of hockey and himself was a goalie in hockey and V K Pandian came from a sports hostel) drew the road map to put Odisha into the global map so far as promotion of sports is concerned. Transformation of sports is an integral part of the 5T Initiatives of the Government.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s thrust on sports activities in the state can be gauged from the fact that the state government has been spending sizeable amounts of money in strengthening the sports infrastructure of the state. Today, Kalinga Stadium Sports Complex in Bhubaneswar has become a hub for multi-disciplinary sports activities starting from Hockey, Football and Rugby to all athletics. State-of-the-art infrastructure at Kalinga Stadium has attracted rave reviews from national and international quarters. Kalinga Stadium has hosted some of the biggest names of the sporting world including Asian Athletic Championship, Women’s Gold Cup Football, Men’s FIH Pro League, Men’s FIH Olympic Qualifiers, Women’s FIH Olympic Qualifiers, Men’s Hockey Series Finals, Men’s Hockey World Cup, Men’s FIH Hockey World League, Hockey Champions Trophy, Asia Rugby Women’s Championship, Indian Super Cup football and many more. Odisha has also got the rare distinction of hosting the Hockey World Cup for the second time in 2023 after its spectacular organization of the event in 2018. The state is also going to have the privilege of hosting the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup at the Kalinga Stadium.
The state government’s proactive measures to develop sports activities in the state have attracted a large number of initiatives from across the country. Some of the biggest names that have set up their training facilities in the state include Abhinav Bindra Targeting Performance, Dalmia Bharat Gopichand Badminton Academy, JSW Swimming High Performance Centre, Khelo India State Centre of Excellence for Athletics, Hockey, and Weightlifting, KJS Ahluwalia and Tenvic Sports High Performance Centre for Weightlifting, Naval Tata Hockey Academy (NTHA), Odisha Aditya Birla and Gagan Narang Shooting High Performance Centre, Reliance Foundation Odisha Athletics High Performance, SAI Regional Badminton Academy, Udaan Badminton Academy and the AIFF High Performance Centre. In order to nurture sporting talent and events in the state, the government of Odisha has been proactively spending huge amounts of money. Odisha has become the first state in the country to sponsor both the Men’s and Women’s hockey team for five years. Brand Odisha is now ready to enthral the international audience.
Odisha’s thrust has also been on developing sporting infrastructure at the grassroots level. The government has been constructing mini stadiums in each and every district and urban areas of the state. Grampanchayats are also being given financial assistance for procuring sporting goods for the local talent. The state level Tribal Meet organized in 2017 is one of its kind in the country which saw participation of more than a lakh young men and women from the tribal areas. Rourkela, which will co-host the next Hockey World Cup in 2023, is going to have India’s largest hockey stadium at an estimated cost of Rs 600 crore.
There are accomplishments – in fact, all-pervasive accomplishments – to celebrate and be happy about. But as the party turns 25, the feeling is less triumphantthan sober.More than triumph, the party is consumed by the tryst with destiny it made when it had set out to be the appointed agency of Odisha’s turn-around. The party is egged on by that accountable feeling. It chugs along with people’s approbation, or what its leader fulfillingly calls ‘khusi’.