Odisha govt should issue white paper on foreign investment received so far: BJP

The state unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday targeted the BJD-ruling dispensation over the recent foreign trip of a team headed by the IT Minister to boost foreign investment. 

The BJP has demanded that the state government issue a white paper on how much investment the state has so far received from such visits. 

A team comprising the Sports Secretary, the 5T Secretary, and the IT Secretary under the leadership of the IT Minister has gone to America to bring investment to the state. Earlier, such teams also visited foreign countries including Israel, Japan and Italy to bring investment in agriculture and industry sectors. 

The BJP alleged that the teams are visiting foreign countries and spending taxpayers’ crores of money. If the government is emphasizing such visits, then it should issue a white paper on how much money has so far been spent on such visits and how much investment Odisha has so far received. 

“Earlier, several teams visited foreign countries. Meetings were arranged at luxurious hotels. The money spent on these activities is the poor people’s money.  The state has not received a single pie of foreign investment. But after reaching here, they say they have investment proposals worth lakhs of crores of rupees. But, the reality is that the state has not received even a rupee as foreign investment. The government should issue a white paper on how much foreign investment the state has so far received,” said Jatin Mohanty, BJP’s state spokesperson.

No comments from BJD could be obtained over the development.