Naveen Attacks BJP Govt, Says Sad to See People Eat Mango Kernel in State That Topped NFSA Implementation 2 Yrs Ago

Bhubaneswar: BJD President and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Naveen Patnaik on Friday stepped up his attack on the BJP government in Odisha over the deaths of two women who lost their lives after consuming mango kernel.

Expressing his profound grief over the incident, Naveen said that it is too sad to witness such tragedies in a state that had topped the list for successfully implementing the food security scheme just two years ago.

Taking to his ‘X’ handle, LoP Naveen said, “It is very sad that two tribal women of Kandhamal lost their lives after eating mango kernel.”

Two years ago, Odisha was recognized as the top state for the successful implementation of the National Food Security Act (NFSA), he said.

During the BJD government, Odisha had become a model for food security, ensuring that all citizens had access to food, including the implementation of the State Food Security Scheme for those in need, Naveen said.

“It is very sad and unfortunate to reach such a position today after being honoured by the central government as the number one state,” he said.

The people in Kandhamal district were forced to eat mango kernel gruel as they were allegedly not provided with food grains under the public distribution system, Naveen added.