Naveen Urges BJD MLAs to Corner Govt over Failures on Different Fronts

Bhubaneswar: BJD President Naveen Patnaik on Monday urged the party legislators to aggressively corner the BJP-led state government during the upcoming Budget Session of the Odisha Legislative Assembly, accusing it of failing people across sectors.

Addressing the BJD Legislature Party meeting, Naveen alleged that the present “double-engine” government was more focused on slogans and photo opportunities while farmers continued to suffer in mandis.

He said cultivators were forced to spend cold nights in the open to protect their harvest from dew and theft.

The Biju Janata Dal is the only party which stands with farmers in all seasons and is fighting against the anti-farmer attitude of this Government, he said.

The anger of farmers is at boiling point due to illegal deduction (Katni-Chhatni) in the Mandis, 150 quintal ceiling on input subsidy, harassment and delay at Mandis in payment beyond 48 hours and distress sale, the BJD President said while calling upon the MLAs to not let the Government hide behind rhetoric.

The BJD supremo further alleged that the government’s failures extended to the broader economy. He claimed that by December, overall budget expenditure stood at around 47 per cent, while spending in some departments was as low as 15 per cent even after ten months of the financial year.

Raising concern over public safety, he said there had been a collapse in law and order and that women and children were not safe even during the daytime.

On the long-standing Mahanadi dispute, Naveen alleged that the state government had shown little interest and had remained a mute spectator while matters unfolded in favour of Chhattisgarh.

He also asked party MLAs to fight aggressively in the budget session of the Assembly to safeguard the interest of the farmers, women, students and Odia Asmita.