With seven Union Ministers visiting different districts of Odisha and undertaking review of various Central schemes being implemented in the State, the ruling BJD, apparently feeling the heat, on Saturday said the people of Odisha will not accept such “Inspector Raj” like attitude.
Former Minister and BJD MLA Sashibhusan Behera said, “It is not proper on part of the Union Ministers to behave in an Inspector Raj manner.” He was reacting to a statement made by Union Minister of State for Home Nityananda Rai during his visit to Cuttack.
Rai in a Press conference in Cuttack said, “It appears that the benefits of different Central schemes are not reaching the beneficiaries as desired. It indicates the State Government’s inept handling of the schemes.”
Earlier, Behera on Friday had said that there is nothing wrong in Union Ministers visiting the State and reviewing Central schemes. He, however, said that the Union Ministers should concentrate on official works and not indulge into politics while visiting districts.
The visit of seven Union Ministers to Odisha days after BJP Odisha-in-charge Sunil Bansal’s tour, has, however, raised speculations that the saffron party has expedited its focus on the State ahead of the 2024 general elections for Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assembly.
While the whisper in the power corridor here says that the Union Ministers’ visit will follow CBI and ED raids in Odisha like one carried out in West Bengal and Maharastra, Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti and Tribal Affairs Bisheswar Tudu did not deny it.
“What is the work of CBI and ED? Where there is corruption, they will
raid and this is their duty. If there is corrupt practice, the Central agencies will do their duties notwithstanding the political affiliation of the accused persons. They may be BJP, BJD or Congress,” Tudu told reporters while replying to a question about whether the CBI and ED will come to Odisha before elections.
The CBI is already investigating into the multi-crore chit fund scam in Odisha where some BJD leaders have been arrested in the past and the ED has also recently raided some places in the State on the mining link.
The Union Ministers who are on the Odisha visit are Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda, Minister of State, Home Nityananda Rai, Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ashwini Choubey, Minister of Jal Shakti Biseswar Tudu, Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Labour and Employment Minister Bhupender Yadav and Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Nisith Pramanik.
BJP national vice president Baijayant Panda said that the Union Ministers will visit the State every month for two days as part of the party’s strategy ahead of the 2024 elections. “The visit of Union Ministers will have a positive impact on the BJP’s rank and file across the State,” Panda said.