Balasore: Two Union ministers today asked the BJD dispensation in Odisha to give an account of its achievements during the 17-year-rule and accused Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of "running the government though officers" instead of people's representatives.
Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Jual Oram and Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan demanded that the state government come out with its performance record as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has done on completion of its two years in office.
"I challenge Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to muster courage and inform people on what the BJD government has achieved during the last 17 years," Pradhan said at the Vikash Rally here before Prime Minister Modi addressed the meeting.
Criticising Patnaik for "keeping himself away from the people and accusing him of running the government though officers instead of people's representatives", Pradhan alleged that the state government had "encouraged the corrupt" people to grow in Odisha.
"We have solved the problem of Odisha by announcing that the state would get 85 per cent of rice and only 15 per cent of wheat under the NFSA quota. The NDA government has also approved the National Manufacturing Investment Zone at Kalinga Nagar besides making provision to expand the industrial corridor through Odisha," Pradhan said.
Rejecting the allegation made by the ruling BJD that the Centre gave assistance on the basis of which party ruled the state, Pradhan said, "The Prime Minister never sees who is in the government in the state. His only aim is to develop the 4.5 crore people of the state."
He alleged that the chief minister has no time for the poor and tribal people which is evident from the fact that he did not honour Jamunamani Singh, a tribal woman ASHA worker who worked for control of Malaria in Balasore district.