Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday during his two-hour visit to Puri inaugurated 14 infra projects worth over `600 crore for the Nabakalebar ritual and annual Rath Yatra. This was the first visit of Patniak to the pilgrim town after the Brahma Paribartan irregularities rocked the entire State.
Amid tight security cover and in a motor cycle rally of BJD activists, the Chief Minister arrived at the Malatipatpur on Saturday morning.
In his brief stay, Patnaik inaugurated a 500-bus terminal built at a cost of over `73 crore and a nearby railway over bridge along the Malatipatpur –Puri-Konark marine drive bypass road also built at a cost of nearly `75 crore.
The Chief Minister inaugurated a modern state-of-the- art 100-bed hospital for the mother and children in the district headquarters hospital campus, two 200-bed facilities, one each in the infectious diseases hospital and the Gopabandhu Ayurved Medical College and Hospital. He too inaugurated an integrated police CCTV control room building, fire tender service building and building for the police personnel at the reserve police line. He commissioned three heavy duty power stations and laid foundation stone for a medical college and hospital at Baliguali on the outskirts of the city to be built at cost of over `270 crore. About 20 platoons of police personnel were engaged to provide security to the Chief Minister.
In a unique show of protest, the Sachetan Nagarik Manch and the Jagannath Sena activists led by convener Priyadarshan Pattnaik sprinkled Ganga Jal, lime water (chunapani) and Gobar Pani (cow dung water) for purification of the venues as soon as the Chief Minister left the project places after inauguration.
Talking to mediapersons, Priyadarshan said the Chief Minister is yet to present his comments over the Brahma Paribartan fiasco which has hurt sentiments and religious feelings of cores of devotees across the country and evoked public resentment against the Government. He alleged that the Chief Minister with a view to mitigate public anger against his Government had rushed to Puri to inaugurate incomplete Nabakalebar projects to divert the public sentiment.
Criticising the Chief Minister over inauguration of his own name plaques all over the new projects, Priyadarshan cited the example of legendary king Indradyumna who after constructing the temple and installing of the lord Jagannath prayed the lord to bless him with a boon that he should die so that none of his successors could claim the temple as his own. This exemplary devotional character was shown by the founder ruler while it is unfortunate that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik unveiled his own name plaques in each project brought up on public money for the service of the pilgrims and deities. He also lamented that the entire city was in a poor state as drainage, sewerage and construction of
roads were incomplete and residents were suffering immense difficulties.
Police rounded up a dozen BJP and Congress activists for staging demonstration while arrested two and forwarded them to court for showing black flags to the Chief Minister.