UDAN: Now Odisha’s Aam Nagrik can fly
With the first flight under UDAN scheme flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the regional connectivity with low cost flights will soon become a reality. Odisha is among the few States to derive the benefits as the Air Decan and Air Odisha are poised to launch their flights between July and September this year. The major responsibility, however, lies with the Air Odisha which will connect Bhubaneswar with Jharsuguda, Raipur, Rourkela, Ranchi, Jaipur and Utkela in Kalahandi district. The Air Decan and the Air Odisha will jointly manage the flights from Bhubaneswar to Kolkota via Rourkela for which the AAI has taken over the control of Rourkela air strip from the SAIl. Being the second Smart City of the State, Rourkela’s due for regular air service will be materialised soon. The Rourkela Chamber of Commerce, local MlA Dilip Ray and the local media were all vociferous in their demand for an airport under the control of the Airport Authority of India (AAI) and that the Civil Aviation Minister Gajapati Raju heeding to this demand, has been welcomed all across Odisha, let alone Rourkela. Now an opinion is building up at Rourkela that the SAIl should wash off its hand from the PM’s declared project of a super specialty hospital and medical college in IGH premises by paving way for a pragmatic approach as the mundane way of living is giving way to a qualitative living style all across the country. If the aspiration of the society at large leans towards more than an average living, the Government is duty bound to provide that kind of a life to them. But UDAN can also be viewed against social conditions of the State and its people who are deprived of the basic requirements of life like drinking water. Against this backdrop, UDAN scheme is perhaps way ahead of time to herald a new horizon.
Naveen must bridge communication gap
lack of communication, unless stitched in time, creates a credibility gap. Dissatisfaction brewing among the members of a team or of a political party, unless nipped in the bud, becomes difficult to handle at a late stage. This exactly what has happened to the BJD and the party supremo Naveen Patnaik is held responsible. Senior BJD leaders voice their opinion about the party affairs in newspaper articles, fueling a debate about growing factionalism in the ruling outfit. Patnaik is busy continuing with district wise review of panchayat poll performance. This exercise of direct touch with grassroots workers should have been used as ground check. The BJD leaders’ slugfest, however, has forced the party supremo to act upon, with steps for simultaneously revamp the organisation and reform governance. Increase in BJP’s vote share followed by a catapult of seat share from 36 in 2012 to 297 in 2017 is large enough to upset the BJD’s dream for a fifth consecutive rule. The panchayat representatives have been raising issues like shortage of drinking water and lack of irrigation facilities as a result of which cultivation has suffered. They have also demanded to strengthen the grassroots where public disenchantment has built up. But these are long term issues unlikely to be resolved within a given period of time. The anti-incumbency factor, if not deflated, can be the sole cause of defeat for the BJD in the coming general elections. The people with bated breath are waiting for reshuffle in the ministry but that may not be the last nail to hit on the camel’s back. However, the change of style in functioning of the BJD supremo, which came after the rural polls, is worth watching for the BJP.
Dhramendra continues tirade against BJD
Continuing his tirade against the BJD, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan lashed out at the Odisha Government this time for its failure to create irrigation facilities in Ganjam, Gajapati and Kandhamal districts during the 17-year rule. He also had a dig at the Government’s miserable failure to solve the drinking water problem of Brahmapur. Pradhan suggested of linking the Mahanadi and the Rushikulya rivers to boost irrigation and drinking water problem in south Odisha. BJP’s national president Amit Saha by now has become a master strategist for his party and the policy of challenging the lion in his den is a part of that strategy. He has managed to consolidate BJP’s position as the main Opposition in Kolkata and Odisha for the time being and is planning to make hay when the sun shines in 2019. Revival of the Talcher fertiliser plant at a cost of Rs 8,000 crore is also a part of the strategy to capture Odisha.
CBI action setback for Dilip Ray
The CBI has framed charge against former Coal Minister and Rourkela BJP MlA Dilip Ray as the latter recommended allotment of a coal block to Castron Technology limited (CTl). Ray now faces charges of criminal conspiracy and criminal breach of trust. In defence, Ray says he only sent the file for reconsideration and as such was not a party to the final decision taken. It is now for the court to define whether asking for reconsideration in the capacity of a Minister comes within the purview of ‘recommendation’ or not. Now Ray has to fight the case in the CBI court to absolve him from the charge. Whether the CBI will seriously follow up the case for its logical conclusion or not is doubtful as the so-called independent body is always under the Government dispensation. Viewed against the backdrop of political situation in Odisha, the Central leadership is firm to promote Dharmendra as CM choice of Odisha, which contradicts the wishful thinking of leaders like Bijay Mohapatra, Ray or Jual Oram. Both Ray and Oram are losing base in their home turf and Bijoy Mohapatra has always remained a non-entity in the party. The PM is said to have ignored all these leaders. Rather, Basanta Panda got a pat on his back for the success of the national executive meet in Bhubaneswar. No longer in the good book of the PM, Ray is in troubled waters. Now his fate hinges on the verdict of the CBI court.