Bhubaneswar: Refuting talks on BJD leaders quitting the regional party being unhappy over the recent ministry reshuffle, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today said barring few leaders expelled from the party for involvement in anti-party activities, no one else has joined BJP. Patnaik said this when asked about his view on party MP Baijayant Panda’s tweet saying resentment over the ministry reshuffle could be one of the reasons for leaders to leave the regional party.
Talking to newsmen after his return from Delhi, Naveen stated here, “The State has 30 districts and each district cannot be given place in the ministry due to limitation on the number of ministers we have.”
He added, “However, I will look into their problems as I am back from Delhi.”
The chief minister also said, during his discussions with the Union Home Minister along with the chief ministers of naxal-affected states on May 8, he demanded for more mobile towers in the LWE-hit areas and early completion of Malkangiri-Jeypore and Jeypore-Nabarangpur railway projects.
Improvement in roads across the LWE-hit districts and immediate release of balance Rs 140 crore for the Gurupriya bridge, development of Jeypore airstrip into a full-fledged airport and 100% Central funding for renewable energy schemes in Koraput and Malkangiri districts were the other demands placed before the Centre, Patnaik added.