Opposition blames Naveen govt for failure to generate jobs

By Our Correspondent

BHUBANESWAR, MAY 21: Major opposition parties, including the BJP and the Congress, – on Sunday targeted the ruling BJD in Odisha over its “failure” in job generation because of its “faulty” and “unattractive” industrial policies.

Speaking at a conclave here organised on completion of three years in office by Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik in his  fourth, – senior BJP leader Prithviraj Harichandan alleged that major industrial units had started to backtrack in the state as the government failed to extend them hand-holding support at the time of need.

“Be it steel and aluminum industries or power sector, mega industries are now reluctant to set up units in Odisha owing to lack of adequate support and cooperation from the State government,” said Mr Harichandan.

He alleged that the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector, which is a major source of employment generation, had been completely neglected by Odisha government.

Blaming the BJD government for South Korean steel giant Posco’s exit from Odisha,  the BJP leader said, “If BJD MPs had pressed treating Posco as an exception in the Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation Act and for necessary amendments, things would had been different.”

Congress leader Ganeswar Behera on the other hand alleged that BJD had failed to generate one lakh employments through industrialisation in state as it lacks ‘commitment.’

Refuting the allegations of opposition parties, senior BJD leader Pratap Keshari Deb said that Odisha government had provided adequate support and cooperation to industrial houses for which the export turnover had reached Rs 30,000 crore from Rs 9,000 crore.

Odisha has been ranked fourth in the Start Up campaign while nearly 5 lakh jobs were created in 2014 to 2017.

According to Mr Deb, as the focus of BJD government was on setting mega projects between 2000 to 2009, downstream industries might have been neglected.

“The entire industrial sector had faced a major slowdown due to the mining scam controversies and slump in international markets in 2010.  Out of the 92 MoUs signed, 41 industries have been set up while 21 have been successful in Odisha, which is a big achievement for us,” claimed Deb.

According to experts, Odisha government’s focus was on mineral based industries in 2000 which was subsequently changed to downstream as per the 2014 manifesto.

In the last two years, the government has also been successful in getting investment proposals to the tune of Rs 50,000 crore.