Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik spent over two hours in Muniguda Block, 45 minutes each in Kolnara and Rayagada town after arriving from a helicopter here.
He inaugurated seven buildings, laid foundation of three structures, addressed to two large gatherings, distributed assets and benefits to beneficiaries under several development schemes, apart from giving floral tribute to a statue of Biju Patnaik near the new bus stand.
From the helipad in Muniguda College ground, Patnaik along with local Minister lal Bihari Himirika and MP Jayaram Pangi went straight to the tehsil office to inaugurate a newly constructed office. After coming back to Muniguda College ground again, as usual, he read out his already written brief speech in Odia. There was hardly any time left for distributing assets and benefits to beneficiaries. Patnaik, Himirika and the District Collector then flew to JK Pur.
The Chief Minister laid foundation stone for a Government BEd college near Kolnara and inaugurated newly constructed Kolnara tehsil office and Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya hostel. Then at Jagadamba High School ground, he addressed to the public. Himirika, N Bhaskar Rao, Collector Dr SB Padhi, ZP Chairperson Sujata Manding shared the dais with Patnaik.
In Rayagada town, Patnaik inaugurated an administrative building and workshop of the Government ITI, skill upgradation centre complex and 200 seated girls’ hostel at JSCo, besides laying foundation stones of a new extension block of the district headquarters hospital including a 50-bedded MCH centre and Halua bridge over river Jhanjabati. There was no public meeting in Rayagada town.
There was no untoward incident except a few workers of Congress and Kalinga Sena showing black flags on the route through which the cavalcade of Patnaik went. SP Rajesh Pandit and IIC Tapan Mohanty were in charge of law and order.
It does not seem to be a usual visit of the Chief Minister. This visit could be the reason for show off by the bureaucrats and the party workers to divert the attention on inaction in Itishree case. May be, they wanted to give a message to the general public that they were not terrorised by the issue and the development was going on as usual in the district, said sources.