Gopalpur MLA Dr Pradip Kumar Panigrahi during his padayatra in different villages under Narayanpur gram panchayat here on Sunday attacked the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD Government for its dictatorial functioning and showing step motherly attitude towards Ganjam district.

The three-time MLA from Gopalpur Dr Panigrahi who was expelled from the party on the ground of anti-party activity and for his alleged link with tainted forest officer Abhay Kant Pathak and his son, apart from his alleged involvement in job scam two years back, is currently seen most active in politics and meeting people of his constituency by conducting regular padayatras to different villages under Gopalpur constituency to garner support of the people for the 2024 elections.

Panigrahi was once upon a time considered the CM’s blue-eyed boy when he asked him to look after the affairs of his Assembly constituency ‘Hinjilikatu’ and in reward of his work, Nabinbabu had given him party ticket in 2009 from Gopalpur and also made him Minister in 2014. However, after having fallen from grace, Panigrahi is now spitting fire against BJD and CM Patnaik. He recently appealed to the people ofPadmapur to cast their votes in favor of BJP candidate Pradip Purohit in the upcoming byelection.

While some political observers justify his appeal and defend him for various reasons including not establishing a permanent bench of the Orissa High Court in South Odisha, a full fledge green field airport at Brahmapur, not releasing special package to Ganjam district and awful dependence of Nabinbabu on a few bureaucrats, some political pundits consider Panigrahi’s somersault as ‘political opportunism’. They said it may boomerang for Panigrahi in 2024 elections.

“Odisha is the worst State in women’s security. The school and college students in CM’s home district in Ganjam feel insecure which is suffice to know the quality of governance and law and order in the State,” said Panigrahi.

There is a surge in the suicide and ragging incidents in Ganjam district. The claim of the Government that Odisha is having a self sufficient and surplus budget is a sheer hoax and mockery, he alleged.  

There is no economic generation from agricultural source and the Government is being run solely on mines revenue, he claimed. He further alleged that, a police officer was openly collecting bribes for allocation of stalls in the recently concluded Bali Yatra in Cuttack which is an example of clean administration of the BJD.