Pradeep Pattanayak

Leader of Opposition (LoP) Jayanarayan Mishra once again launched a broadside at the BJD-led dispensation over its 5T initiative during the zero hour of the Assembly on Wednesday. 

He said "If 5T is a vision (as government chief whip Prasant Muduli said yesterday while replying to his question during the zero hour); let it be limited to the vision only. How is it governing all the departments?"
 
“While legislators, administrators and the judiciary are accountable, 5T is accountable to whom?” asked Mishra. 

“Is 5T above all? Who is the minister accountable? ” Mishra sought clarification. 

On the other hand, the Biju Janata Dal hit back at the BJP for raising the same issue again and again. 

“It seems Jayanarayan Mishra is possessed by the 5T ghost. He should be exorcised,” said ruling-BJD MLA, Amar Satapathy. 

Satapathy said the Prime Minister’s Office is also monitoring the works of several departments and hence, the time of the House should not be wasted by unnecessarily discussing the issue.   

Meanwhile, the government seems to be playing to its strength to give weight to 5T on social media so that no negative message should go out to people. 

“The 5T secretary has assumed the position of the God in the BJD government. All are following him, or else they would lose their existence,” observed Sahadev Sahoo, former Odisha Chief Secretary. 

Senior journalist Sandeep Sahu said, “5T is not a department. He is secretary to the Chief Minister. He has been given a position as Secretary to CM-Transformational Initiatives whereby a power to interfere in any department has been bestowed upon him.”

On Monday as well, Jayanarayan had raised questions over the 5T initiative of the State government during the zero hour.

“What is 5T, it is not understandable. Is it a department? If so, where is its office, at Rajiv Bhawan, Lok Seva Bhawan or Kharavela Bhawan? Has the 5T department been created to diminish the authority of other departments," Mishra had questioned.

“If 5T is a department, why no discussions are being held over it in the Assembly? The Odisha government should clarify it,” he had demanded.

 

(Reported by Archana Satapathy, Jagdish Das and Harihar Chand, OTV) 

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