'Are Odia people blind?' Opposition leaders take swipe at 5T chairman over his blind jibe 

A day after 5T chairman VK Pandian lashed out at the Opposition leaders for criticising the transformation taking place in the state, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress leaders on Monday launched an attack on him. 

While addressing the gathering at a meeting at Sundareswar in Ganjam district’s Chhatrapur area on Sunday, Pandian said some people have turned blind and are not able to see the transformation taking place under the 5T initiative. 

Taking a swipe at the 5T chairman, BJP’s state vice president Golak Mohapatra said, “What is this? Are the Odias blind? Do you want to say Odia people are blind? What transformation you are speaking about? After the transformation of Srimandir, devotees can’t enter the temple. Is this transformation? Only giving a fresh coat of colours to school walls is not transformation. The walls and roofs of the schools that were painted are falling off.”

Also Read: Students of 5T school served 'pakhala' in mid-day meal 

Congress spokesperson Ganeswar Behera launched a scathing attack on the 5T chairman and said, “It is not that the Opposition is not able to see the transformation, but the government is not able to see it.”
However, ruling BJD MLA, Nrusingha Charan Sahu said, “Those who are opposing the transformation are not doing good. The criticism should be positive.”

Amid the war of words, OTV teams visited some 5T schools for a reality check on the transformation. 

They visited Kantabada village on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar. Here, the transformation work is taking place at Kantabada School. However, the villagers alleged substandard materials being used in the construction work. Resentment is brewing in the village due to low-quality work.   

“The contractor is offering money to us to keep our mouths shut. We want perfect work,” said Kantabada Village Committee president, Hemant Kumar Behera. 

OTV team also visited Bamadeb High School at Diandein village under Ganjam block in the Chief Minister’s district. The school’s two-storey building is ready but its foundation is developing cracks. 

Similarly, Keshpur Government Upgraded High School in the same district has been transformed over the last two years. But the students of the school are still being made to sit on the verandah. 

“There are a total of four classrooms. While students of two classes are made to sit in one classroom, some students are also sitting on the verandah,” alleged Keshpur Upgraded High School’s president, Ganesh Chanda.