In a letter to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Union Minister and senior Congress leader Srikant Jena raised the issue of poverty and State Government’s helplessness in addressing the issue.
“Raghuram Rajan’s report revealed that Odisha is the poorest State in the country which unveiled the real face of the Naveen-led BJD Government,” said Jena, adding, “Nothing has changed; we are still in that stage where we were during the time of Independence.” Jena said former Chief Minister Biju Patnaik had ruled the State seven years and his son Naveen Patnaik is on power during last 14 years.
Even former Chief Minister Janaki Ballabh Patnaik had ruled the State for 14 years. Within these years, the fate of the State remained the same and still the State is in numero uno position in poverty index in India, he added.
“Who is responsible for the dangerous situation of poverty in the StateIJ” he asked the present Chief Minister. “Gandhi had said if one wants to see poverty, he should go to Odisha. The saying is now reflected in the report of Rajan. Why are we lagging behindIJ What message will we convey to the next generationIJ,” asked the Congress leader to Patnaik.
Punjab has no natural resources except water, soil and human being, Jena said, but how Chief Minister Pratap Singh Kairan has changed the fate of the State within one term. “Though your Government is in power during the last 14 years, why have you failed in eradicating poverty,” he asked in the letter to the Chief Minister.
Jena alleged that 50 to 60 families of the State got immense benefit from the natural resources like mines and minerals due to mutual understanding between politicians and industrialists. These families have controlled precious mines and looted thousands of crores of rupees by sidelining the interest of the people of the State, he added.
Recently, a good number of politicians and influential persons in the national level were sent to jail for violating law of the land, but there is no exemplary punishment for the tainted leaders in the State who are involved in chit fund scam and other corruption charges, said the Union Minister, adding, “It is need of the hour to unearth actual property of the politicians and their relatives to check corruption and subsequently to book them under law.”
“We have everything including 480km sea beach, surplus water of various rivers in the State, fertile agricultural land, vast forest land and precious natural resources like mines and minerals, but why are we still poorIJ” said Jena.
He further said that out of total 84 lakh families, around 70 lakh come under BPl category. Women are not secured in the State. Dalit and tribals are in distress, unemployed youths are migrating to other States, as daily labourers and farmers are helpless in the State, he added.
He finally requested the Chief Minister to bring back mines into the State Government’s control and implement the Odisha Prohibition Act 1956 enacted by former Chief Minister Naba Krushna Choudhury to make Odisha liquor free State.