Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday said funds would not be a constraint for making Sambalpur a model city.
Patnaik inaugurated a slew of projects during his visit to Sambalpur. He inaugurated a western Odisha freedom fighters’ memorial hall and museum. He addressed a gathering to mark the valedictory session of the Nirman Shramik Seva Saptah. During the ceremony, He gave away work orders for pucca houses to 138 construction workers under the Nirman Shramik Pucca Ghar Yojana.
Patnaik too inaugurated a 50-bed mother and child care hospital complex at the premises of the Sadar Hospital.
However as preventive measures, a few Congress workers were arrested near the laxmi Talkies while attempting to give a memorandum to the Chief Minister. The police too arrested BJP women workers, including Sambalpur Mahila president Annapurna Barik.
Protesting their arrest, the BJP women wing burnt the effigy of the Chief Minister at Master Canteen Square in Bhubaneswar on Saturday.
“The way BJP women were lifted by police late on Friday night had never happened in the history of Odisha politics. It indicates how the Naveen Patnaik Government treats women in reality. We condemn the arrest of our party workers,” said functionaries.
They said while law and order situation is out of control in the State, police are only busy for the Chief Minister’s security.
“There was no necessity to arrest our party women. The practice should be stopped, else we will resort to agitation,” said protestors.
Among others, BJP Mahila State president Simantini Jena and secretary Niyati Giri, Sabita Praharaj, Sujata Barik, Banita Panda, Minakshi Priyadarshini, Shantilata Sethi, Minati Barik, Unnati Parida, Manasi Manjari Ray and Punam Sahani were present.