Health and Family Welfare Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak faced protests here from the BJP during his visit to the district. Primarily, he had come to attend the district planning committee meeting on Monday.
Soon after the meeting when he was going in his car, the BJP workers led by its district president Madan Mohan Dutta near Fandi Square showed black flag to him. This followed a scuffle between the party workers of BJD and BJP. The police arrested about 40 people, including district BJP president Dutta, Susama Biswal and others.
“Our State leadership has decided that the BJD Ministers would be shown black flags during their visits to any district after the Bargarh incident and further the protest here was against the killing of innocent people in Kandhamal . In Baleswar, there is hardly any development. Be it health, water, electricity or road, in all basic issues the BJD Government has failed to address the issue,” said Dutta.
The BJP also lodged FIR against four BJD workers and also staged a road picketing in front of the bus stand. As a result, bus movement was disrupted for about an hour and the inward as well as outward buses had to take a diversion route. Minister Nayak himself took the Salt road and via Gopalpur touched the NH 5.
Apart from the Minister, the planning committee meeting was attended by BJD Chief Whip Ananta Das, MP RK Jena and all MlAs of the district, except of Remuna constituency. District Collector Pramod Das, the PD DRDA, ZP president Umilata Das, besides other officials were present.
Nayak while visiting the DHH asked the CDMO to procure the required medicines required for treatment diarrhoea from the local funds.
Saline water ingression and flood water submergence during monsoon season emerged as a main issue. Construction of embankments, roads, sluice gates etc also figured in the meeting.
“Since the district has received more than 50 per cent towards allocation with Rs 2,100 crore in the current fiscal year, the need of hour is to implement plans and execute the projects. last year the allotted amount Rs 1,400 crore couldn’t be spent fully. Therefore, concerted efforts are required to execute the plans,” MP Jena said.