The BJD on Saturday said Odisha has transformed it rapidly and has been moving from the Aspirant Level to a frontrunner Stage in development parameters.
Party spokesperson Sasmit Patra claimed this quoting an article based on the NITI Aayog data, which reveal that the BJP-ruled States like Gujarat, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are still in the Aspirant Level.
He was reacting to Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s allegation that the Naveen Patnaik Government has failed in all developments indexes.
Dr Patra particularly questioned the oft-claimed “Gujarat model” as that State still continues in the Aspirant Level. Having a BJP Government for 15 long years before the recent elections there, Madhya Pradesh has the same result, being marked ‘RED’, he pointed out.
And Patra said that this is the reality of the ‘double engine’ of having BJP Governments in a State and at the Centre.
He quoted facts and figures about Odisha’s achievements on various fronts showing that it is the best-performing State in several national parameters
On the strength of statistics, he said that Odisha is the No.1 State in skill development and that in the Mission Shakti there are 70 lakh empowered women and 7 lakh Self-Help Groups
Odisha has been internationally acclaimed by the United Nations for disaster management and it is now helping other States during natural calamities, Patra pointed out.
He also stated that Odisha is a pioneer State on the food security front having its own State food security programme, which covers 25 lakh beneficiaries.
Patra said Odisha’s KALIA scheme is a revolutionary one that covers as many as 40 lakh farmers and other partners in agriculture.
Odisha has attracted industrial investments worth Rs 4.5 lakh crore and has turned out to be a major centre for investors’ attraction. And Odisha has taken lead in the skill development sector with 9 lakh youths being provided skill development training, he said.
Patra also pointed out that Odisha is a leading State in bringing down the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR), which is a highly positive trend in healthcare.
He also stated that Odisha farmers’ income has doubled and the State has received the Krishi Karman Award from the Centre four times.
Under the Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana, at least 20 lakh houses have been built and over 41,000 km of rural roads have been constructed, he further pointed out.