Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday embarked on a whirlwind tour of Jajpur district ahead of the panchayat elections. He inaugurated as many as 20 projects, including three bridges and two drinking water projects, and laid the foundation-stones for eight projects in Barachana, Korei and Bari blocks.
Addressing a meeting at Bari, the Chief Minister stated that his Government is determined to mitigate poverty in the State, for which the Government has undertaken one-rupee rice scheme, Madhusudan Pension Yojana, Mo Kudia scheme and other poverty alleviation programmes.
“Our Government provides drinking water to rural people. We also build good roads in villages. The BJD Government came into power 16 years back, and the State has progressed in all sectors. Despite many successes, the future development of the State rests mainly on rapid industrialisation,” Patnaik said.
The Chief Minister criticised the opposition parties for allegedly trying
to scuttle the State’s industrialisation. These parties are spearheading agitations against industrialisation making its as one of their main pillars of opposition, he said.
Patnaik said that when significant industrialisation efforts are underway successfully, these very forces seek to thwart them. The reason for this politics is not far to seek. If industrialisation advances under the BJD Government then the raison d etre of these parties’ political existence would simply cease. They need to prevent industrialisation in Odisha and, therefore, to sabotage greater employment opportunities.
However, Congress, BJP and Navnirman Krushak Sangh (NKS) members showed black flags to the Chief Minister Patnaik and shouted slogans against during his visit to the district. They and waved black flags at him, sources said.
More than 30 Congress women workers, over 10 BJP activists and the NKS district convener were detained in this connection, sources said.