It is widely acclaimed that Naveen Patnaik is a popular Chief Minister with impeccable integrity, honesty and transparency. He is deeply concerned for the well-being of the poor and downtrodden. It is he who introduced providing rice of 25 kg to each BPl family at the rate of Re 1 per kg besides offering essential facilities to promote education for girls and tribal students. No doubt the steps are commendable.
But he is pathetically silent about the politicians of his own party who loot and plunder the State assets and resources being callous to the sentiments of the whole public of the State. He had, in fact, miserably failed to contain the mining scam which involves Rs59, 283 crore.
The Shah Commission suggested that only a CBI investigation could unearth the details of the scam. These precious natural resources and assets extracted illegally belong to the people of the whole country, but it is being looted by a few persons. The head of the Government cannot disown his responsibilities.
The chit fund scam is now being investigated by the CBI at the direction of the Supreme Court as the State police was incapable of conducting the probe fairly, freely and impartially since it did not bring the powerful politicians of the ruling party to the purview of investigation.
It is reported that politicians belonging to the ruling party have garbed hundreds of acres of Government lands/forestlands and lands belonging to the SC/ST communities by manipulation and deception and have in possession of more than one flat in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack.
While our poverty-stricken people due to want of employment are migrating to other States for livelihood, braving hardship and rigorous labour, the politicians under the indulgence of the Government are exploiting public assets without any demur. Is it not a clear manifestation of perverse governanceIJ It time that our Chief Minister intervened to retain his integrity and transparency.
(The Bhubaneswar-based writer regularly contributes to the letter to the Editor column of this newspaper)