February 21st 2025.
On Friday, Naveen Patnaik, the Leader of Opposition in the Odisha Assembly, expressed his disappointment with the ruling BJP's "double engine" government. He quipped that instead of bringing "double benefit" as promised, it has only brought "double misery" for the state. The BJD president also criticized the Central government for not increasing the grant-in-aid funds for Odisha.
During the general discussion on the Odisha Budget, presented by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Monday, Patnaik, who has served as Chief Minister five times, pointed out that under the "double-engine government," the state's open market loan burden has increased by over Rs 46,000 crore. He also highlighted the alarming growth of the per capita loan burden, which he believes will negatively impact the state's finances and impede its progress.
Patnaik noted that instead of moving forward, the state seems to be regressing under the BJP government. He stated that while Odisha was once known for its remarkable transformation, it is now only known for changing names and colors of schemes. The BJD president proudly claimed that during his rule, Odisha consistently maintained a high growth rate.
He expressed his skepticism about the government's decision to rename the "Skilled in Odisha" program to "Skilled for the World," questioning how it would benefit the youth of the state. Patnaik asserted that this change is an admission that the government is unable to create enough job opportunities. He also credited the previous BJD government for lifting millions of people out of poverty, a fact recognized by various central institutions.
Patnaik further criticized the BJP government for reducing the allocation for the Bhubaneswar Metro Rail Project, despite mentioning plans for a Comprehensive City Road Decongestion Plan and a solution to decongest Bhubaneswar's traffic. He also brought attention to the ongoing protest by Mission Shakti women, who have not received their salaries, while the government has promised to create 25 lakh "Lakhpati Didis" by 2027.
As the leader of the opposition, Patnaik demanded the submission of the list of "Lakhpati Didis" during his last speech on the budget, but instead, the budget allocation for Mission Shakti was reduced. He criticized the Majhi Budget for being full of slogans and catchphrases, diverting attention from the real issues that the people of Odisha are facing. Patnaik concluded by reminding the government to thank the previous BJD government for laying the foundation of a robust fiscal health, which has allowed them to allocate funds for development projects without relying on handouts from the central government.
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