Bhubaneswar: Days after writing to Petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan about employment not being given to Odias in the IOCL refinery in Paradip, senior leader of BJP Bijoy Mohapatra once again raised the issue today criticising his own party for taking sides with the Central PSU in the port town.
“IOCL does not belong to BJP. Why did the party act as its middleman and give clarifications instead of company authorities. Moreover, the data given by the party about employment is very old,” Mohapatra said, questioning the company authorities on number of jobs given to youths from Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur district in the last three years.
“No employment has been given to youths in Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur since the Prime Minister’s visit to the port town,” he claimed.
The firebrand leader, however, clarified on his earlier letter to the Union Minister saying that he did not target Pradhan. “I don’t target any one and will never do that in future”, he added.
The party, on the other hand, reacted to the queries of Mohapatra suggesting him to refrain from creating illusion out of the issue. “He had not written to the Managing Director of IOCL, but to Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. So, the party had presented the facts on his behalf. He should not create any confusion. IOCL is not bound to answer his questions”, BJP State general secretary Prithivraj Harichandan said.
Mohapatra in a letter to Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan on June 3 had expressed serious concern over Odia youths not being given priority in jobs and other engagements at the refinery.