After much hue and cry over 5T secretary’s whirlwind tours across Odisha, politics is now active over the US visit by the team of the powerful office in the state. The 5T Secretary VK Pandian, IT Secretary Manoj Mishra, IT Minister Tusharkanti Behera, and BJD MP Sujit Kumar have now left on a 10-day visit to the US.
The team’s objective is said to get more investments to Odisha in the Electronics and IT sector. The team is likely to hold talks and discussions with various companies in Silicon Valley. It is said that the team will apprise the software and internet companies about the investment opportunities in Odisha as there are plans to have a dedicated fiber net grid and its laying.
The team is also scheduled to meet the Non-resident Odias there on July 28. Meanwhile, the Opposition parties have slammed the Odisha government over the foreign tour.
The BJP alleged that the government had also visited several countries in the past to bring investments. However, the state government should publish a white paper on the exact amount of investments received. The party has further alleged that the state government has made such foreign tours by spending crores only to please the officers.
BJP secretary, Jatin Mohanty said, “Every time the state government is sending officers on foreign tours by spending crores of rupees. They are nothing but pleasure trips. How much investments have been received, the government should publish a white paper.”
The Congress too raised questions on the investments received by Odisha so far.
Chairman of Odisha Congress Campaign Committee, Bijay Patnaik said, “Everybody saw how much investment came from Italy and Dubai tours. What investments will come from the USA? If the state government's idea is to bring investments, then scores of people would not have migrated to Surat.”
It is worth mentioning that the Odisha Cabinet had approved the semi-conductor manufacturing and falbess policy a day before the US visit by the team. As per the government, the semiconductor manufacturing and fabless policy will develop an end-to-end semiconductor ecosystem, transform Odisha into a leading centre for semiconductor manufacturing & create a repository of semiconductor design talent.
Meanwhile, questions are now being asked on how success will be achieved through the policy for the semiconductor manufacturing sector.
Responding to the allegations levelled by the Opposition, a senior ruling BJD MLA, Debi Mishra said, “Such statements are unfortunate. States are competing with each other for investments and there is a need to provide better opportunities than what other states are providing to bring investments.”
Many say that the Odisha government had met several industrialists and conducted road shows across the country and abroad under several editions of Make In Odisha. However, the overall foreign investments were not that satisfactory. Under such circumstances, it remains to be seen how much success is achieved from the current foreign trip.