Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik would be visiting Sundargarh district on February 16 for a one-day visit. During his visit he would be laying foundation stone for 271 new projects of Rs 2,000 as said by Minister Pratap Jena recently during his visit. Amongst others, the important projects are International Standard Hockey Stadium at Rourkela BPUT Campus where certain matches will be paid during World Cup Hockey-2023 and 17 more Astro Turf Hockey Stadiums in 17 blocks of the district.
While the district administration is already on an overdrive for successful visit of the CM, the BJD here is in full effort to make the programme a success. That is why, the BJD has formed a district level committee under the guidance of the State leadership for preparation of the CM programme. Even while the party’s district co-observer Kuna Bihari Das is camping here, observer MLA Priti Ranjan Ghadei has been visiting the district frequently.
Besides, many State Ministers are touring the district to take stock of the preparation. Now the entire city is covered with big hoardings of Naveen Patnaik. Sources said almost all the Ministers and more than 100 MLAs, MPs and party leaders would be present in different blocks, towns and ULBs to make the programme a big success.
The preparation goes as if it would be the beginning of campaign for forth coming ULB and GP elections. But on other hand, the opposition parties and certain elite masses see this programme otherwise. They allege that this BJD Government believes in laying foundation stones only while it never cares translate them into reality. And, this is particularly true as far as Rourkela is concerned, they say. It may be noted here that on July 13, 2013 without any tender and other official activities, the Chief Minister had laid the foundation stone of Koel barrage which is still in cold storage.
The barrage carries much importance so far as the connectivity between Kuarmunda and Nuagaon block and Rourkela city is concerned. Besides it is related with the issue of solution of drinking water in the steel city, Jagda and Jhirpani.
Similarly, on February 23, 2014, the CM had laid the foundation stone for the Wholesale Market Complex at Balughat, Panposh in Rourkela for facilitating the local farmers, traders and for the betterment of the Rourkela traffic and sanctioned a sum of Rs 98.45 crore. Besides, a project envisaging construction of 50 ultra-modern stalls and godowns for paddy procurement equipment at Vedavyas market yard was approved. But the fates of both the projects are in uncertain stage. Another commitment was made by the Chief Minister.
It was on March 4, 2015 when Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had declared the Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar’s second campus at Rourkela to make up for the large-scale resentment of the residents over the IIM issue.
But till date the assurance of the CM has not translated into action. Rather it is alleged that the XIMB campus declaration was a political game plan of Patnaik to divert attention of the people from the IIM setback. Besides, many more projects including Transport Nagar at Beldihi are still in cold storage. To remind of the failure in fulfilling the promises to the CM and BJD leaders, Congress workers under the leadership of Prasant Sethy had staged a dharana at the venue where CM had laid foundation stone for Koel barrage and ring road a couple of days ago.