September 24th 2024.
During a press conference, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) expressed their suggestion to the BJP government in Odisha. They recommended that the current government continue the schemes and programs initiated by the former chief minister Naveen Patnaik, as the state has seen significant development during his tenure.
The BJD pointed out that Patnaik was the chief minister of Odisha from 2000 to 2024, and during this time, the state witnessed improvement in various economic indicators, as stated in central government documents. BJD national spokesperson Santrupt Mishra highlighted that the BJP government should not solely focus on changing names and colors of logos, but also continue Patnaik's schemes, which have been beneficial for the progress of Odisha.
Mishra and another BJD spokesperson, Sasamit Patra, referred to a report by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, which stated that Odisha's economic growth in the past two decades was a result of inclusive policies and responsible economic management. They clarified that these were not just claims made by the BJD, but were facts revealed by the report.
According to the report, during Patnaik's regime, the relative per capita income of Odisha increased from 55.8% in 2000-01 to 88.5% in 2023-24. Additionally, Odisha's share in the country's GDP also rose from 2.3% to 2.8% during this period. Comparatively, states like Punjab, Maharashtra, and West Bengal witnessed a decline in their share of the country's GDP, indicating that Odisha's progress was a result of Patnaik's policies and effective economic management.
The BJD leaders also highlighted that when Patnaik took over as the chief minister in 2000, Odisha had incurred an overdraft of Rs 144 crore from the Reserve Bank of India. They further stated that the state was struggling to pay the salaries and pensions of its employees. However, by 2024, Odisha's per capita income had increased significantly to Rs 1,61,437 from just Rs 10,211 in 2000. Moreover, the percentage of the state's population living below the poverty line had reduced from 70% in 2000 to only 10% in 2024. The budget size of the state had also seen a significant increase from Rs 10,000 crore in 2000 to Rs 2,55,000 crore in 2023.
The BJD leaders refuted the BJP's claim that Odisha did not progress during Patnaik's 24 years of rule. They emphasized that the state's growth and development were evident and attributed it to Patnaik's policies and effective economic management.
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