Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik has outsourced administration to officers, alleges BJP president JP Nadda

By Kishore Agrawal

Bhawanipatna, June 24: The BJP national president JP Nadda on Friday launched a no-holds-barred attack on the Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government in Odisha by alleging that the entire state administration had been outsourced.

Mr Nadda, who was here to present the report of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in the past nine years, said nobody in the state actually knew who was running the administration.

“Nobody knows who is running the administration in Odisha. Many people say that an officer is running the show here. It is also heard that nobody listens to BJD MLAs and MPs and only officers are ruling. In fact, the CM Naveen Patnaik has sublet everything to officers. The total administration has been outsourced here to officers,” said Nadda.

He claimed that a powerful officer along with a few other bureaucrats was in fact running the government in the name of CM Naveen Patnaik.

“Do we want such an outsourced government to continue in Odisha? People of Odisha voted for someone while another person rules here. Time has come to ensure that we form a government both at the Centre and here in Odisha,” he said.

Though Mr Nadda did not mention the name of the officer who he said was ruling the state, his remarks were seen as an indirect reference to CM Naveen Patnaik’s private secretary VK Pandian, an IAS officer, who is making whirlwind tours to different districts to interact with people.

Alleging that corruption had become rampant in Odisha, Mr Nadda said the state recorded the lowest per capita income while farmers’ income dipped abysmally low. Besides, the “exploitation” of women was also high in the state.

He also charged that 50 per cent commission was being realized from contractors while the remaining 50 percent was utilised on the ground.

“Naveen Babu had announced plans to provide cold storage and irrigation facilities for 35 per cent land in each block. Has this target been achieved? Such a government doesn’t deserve to remain in power. Changing names or hijacking central schemes will no longer help,” the BJP chief said.

BJP national president JP Nadda said 4 crore houses had been allotted under the scheme and 72 lakh Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) houses sanctioned for Odisha. The process for completion of 29 lakh houses has started here.

“There is corruption and the beneficiaries are neglected and the ineligible ones are getting the benefits. I will urge the Centre to order a probe so that the truth comes out. Those eligible to get houses and those indulged in corruption will be sent to jail,” said Mr Nadda.

He also condemned the Naveen Patnaik government for not implementing the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat healthcare scheme in Odisha.