Naveen Patnaik’s 10 “credentials” in 2013 amounted to “A year of women embarrassment, investment scam and farmers’ tragedy”, commented BJP State president KV Singh Deo on the New Year’s day. He explained his statement thus:
(1) October: Murder of Rayagada schoolteacher Itishree Pradhan. The State Government tried to settle the issue with a compensation of Rs 10 lakh! The National Commission of Women insisted on a CBI inquiry.
(2) September: Rape and murder of Suryakanti Rout, a Plus Three student of Barpali College, whose body was found under mysterious circumstances. And her family was assisted with Rs 10,000!
(3) July: 14-year-old girl of Mahakalapada who was set on fire by two miscreants died at the Capital Hospital. She was allegedly raped before she was set on fire.
(4) June: A visually-challenged girl was allegedly abducted, raped and murdered on the outskirts of Puri town.
(5) February: Mysterious death of Subarna Patel, a Plus Three student, near Barpali level crossing. While a preliminary investigation pointed it to be a case of poisoning, the possibility of rape and murder cannot be ruled out but now the file is closed and mystery unsolved.
(6) January: A 16-year-old orphan girl was abducted and raped in Rayagada. later, she resorted to self-immolation and died. (7) January to December: More than 1,500 rape cases registered — a dark spot on the State.
(8) Farmers Ruturaj Dalai (55) of Gurandi village of Gajapati district and Suadam Pradhan (40) of Manikpur of Subarnapur district committed suicide by consuming pesticide on December 11 and 13, respectively. Farmer Bije Thapa (50) and his son Thabir (27) attempted to commit suicide by consuming pesticide due to crop failure and debt burden at Debgadtikra in Bargarh on December 28. Another farmer from Teenkani in Barpali block in Bargarh committed suicide due to bad yield and debt burden in October. And the story goes on.
(9) As many as 159 chit fund companies with the State Government’s patronage looted poor investors’ hard-earned money. So far, 425 cases are registered against them while the Crime Branch has filed chargesheets in 236 out of a total of 425 cases. It was a scam of more than Rs 2,0000 crore, but the Government turned down the demand for a CBI probe on December 6.
(10) The State Government was caught red-handed for delaying processing of the Justice Shah Commission report on the mining scam of over Rs 4 lakh crore.