Kendrapada being a natural disaster zone, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik while addressing poll rallies here on Saturday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not find time to visit the calamity zone once but visited the State “ten times” to campaign for BJP in the 2019 elections.
The BJD supremo alleged that the BJP leaders are only eyeing “votes of Odias, but they do not have any interest for development of Odisha.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited “10 times” for electioneering and is requesting for “votes” from the people of the State. But he could not find time to visit the State, when it was reeling under distress, alleged Patnaik.
He pointed out that the Prime Minister visited Bihar on August 26, 2017, when the State faced devastating floods.
The PM also visited Kerala on August 26, 2018, when the State was reeling under massive floods.He went to Andhra Pradesh on October 14, 2014 to assuage feeling of hapless people facing trouble due to floods.
But he never bothered to visit Odisha when the State faced Phailin, Hud Hud and devastating floods, told Patnaik.
Claiming to scale up activities on disaster management, the Chief Minister said that Odisha is now leading on disaster management front and for that reason is lauded by the United Nations.
Odisha is now helping other State Governments to face natural disasters. Disaster management is Odisha Government’s USP and it is helping the State and its people in dark hours of natural disasters, he said.
Urging the people to vote for BJD, Chief Minister said cine star Anubhab Mohanty has represented the State in the Rajya Sabha in a befitting way. So, he should be given opportunities to serve the State as a Lok Sabha member this time.
Patnaik said he himself would take care of the development of Kendrapada.