Former Union Minister Srikant Jena has strongly opposed the recent land allotments made to seven tourism firms and urged the State Government to cancel the allotments and build ‘multiple skill-training centres’ on these lands for youths.
In a letter to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Jena mentioned the that lands allotted to the firm would never promote tourism but would benefit big hoteliers and gold merchants.
“While various problems are being faced by farmers, tribals and backward class people and unemployment is rampant in the State, the officers should think of resolving them first. It is not understood why 42 acres of land were allotted to hoteliers and gold merchants when newly- inducted Ministers had not got office rooms in the Secretariat,” wanted to know Jena.
He demanded that the Government cancel the land allotments and build multi-unit training centres on those lands to provide skill training to at least 10,000 youths every year.
Jena too urged the Chief Minister to ask officers to work for development of tourism in Puri, which has been ravaged by the Cyclone Fani. He too requested that the Government rehabilitated the affected artistes and artisans of Puri soon.