Odisha Chief Minister and Biju Janata Dal president Naveen Patnaik said on December 26 that the party would continue to serve the people of the State for hundreds of years. He was addressing party workers virtually on the occasion of BJD’s 25th foundation day. Patnaik said the BJD had turned into a social movement and emerged as the symbol of hope and trust of the 4.5 crore people of Odisha.
Patnaik appreciated the selfless work of lakhs of party workers and claimed that the BJD was, with the blessings of the State’s people, the only party in the country whose popularity has been increasing every year. He said that the people of Odisha were the boss of the BJD and that they had no boss in Delhi. The BJD was accountable to the people of Odisha only, he added.
Patnaik, who started his first term as Chief Minister in March 2000, said that there had been a big change from the Odisha of 2000 to the Odisha of today. The State was ahead of other States in reducing poverty, he said. The rate of poverty had reduced from 63 per cent in 2000 to 29 per cent now, Patnaik said and added that 80 lakh people had crossed the poverty line during the period. Odisha would take all steps to bring down poverty to 10 per cent in the next five years and create history by achieving this goal, he said.
In the field of disaster management, Patnaik said the Odisha government had earned appreciation from various quarters, ranging from the United Nations to the NITI Aayog.
Talking about agriculture, Patnaik said there was a time when Odisha depended on other States to fulfil its good grain requirements. Odisha now ranked third highest among States in the contribution of foodgrains to the country, he said and emphasised that this reflected his government’s commitment to the expansion of irrigation facilities in the State.
The BJD president further highlighted his government’s success story with regard to women’s empowerment. Odisha was ahead of others is reserving 50 per cent seats for women in Panchayati Raj institutions and had also shown the way for 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament, Patnaik said. Seventy lakh women had become members of self-help groups under the Mission Shakti initiative, he added.
Patnaik also spoke about various measures that were being taken to ensure development of those belonging to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other backward classes (OBCs).
Odisha attracted investments of over four lakh crore rupees during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was highest among all States in the country, he said and pointed out that the State provided free treatment to all coronavirus patients and supplied oxygen to 17 States during the pandemic’s second wave.
Pointing to the transformation brought about in schools, Patnaik said be it education, sports, health or agriculture Odisha was moving forward with a new identity.
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