By A K Sahoo
Bhubaneswar September 25: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday accused former CM and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president Naveen Patnaik of ruining the state during his 24 years of “misrule,” instead of bringing about development changes.
He also brought serious allegations of nepotism and corruption against the previous Government
Addressing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers during a membership drive here in the Old Town area, said there was no respect for elected representatives like Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) and Members of Parliament (MPs) during the BJD government and only officers were given all importance.
“People of Odisha have seen how power was brazenly being enjoyed by officers as Naveen undermined the lawmakers and elected representatives of different democratic institutions. Officers were seen sharing dais with the CM and addressing political rallies. Democratic values were completely decimated during the BJD’s long stint of rule,” said Majhi.
The CM took a potshot at the 5T Initiative programme of the Naveen Patnaik government saying it was a tool of corruption and irregularities.
“You all have seen the governance style of the previous BJD government. In the name of 5T Initiative transformations, only school walls were painted and money was looted. In execution of many other programmes, there have been large-scale irregularities,” the CM said.
The CM punched a hole in the previous BJD government’s claim that it provided interest-free loans to women under the Misssion Shakti programme to start their own businesses.
“The claims of providing interest-free loans to Mission Shakti by the previous BJD government are untrue. The Centre provides Rs 11 while the state government gives Rs 4 as interest on the loans given to the women self-help groups to start their own entrepreneurships. But the previous Naveen Patnaik government claimed that the entire money was provided by him,”
The CM also alleged that the BJD government also hijacked the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) scheme and rebranded it to get votes.
“The people of Odisha realised how they were being cheated and exploited by the BJD government and gave a befitting reply to the party in the last elections by unseating it from power,” said Majhi.
There was no reaction from the BJD on the CM’s observations.
