Bhubaneswar: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik is scheduled to visit Balangir and Kalahandi districts today to lay the foundation stones of 17 development projects including a mega irrigation project in Junagarh in Kalahandi district.
Reports said on the eve of the visit of the chief minister, BJD has put up massive posters and hoardings of its party supremo at several places in both the districts.
As per schedule, Patnaik will address public meetings at Gudvela in Balangir and Junagarh in Kalahandi district. Huge cut outs adorn the meeting venues at both places while the ruling party has strained every sinew to bring as many farmers as possible to the meeting venue in these places.
Predictably, the Congress has criticised the BJD for trying to make it a political programme.
“The ruling government has come forward to play politics with the money of the people. Had this been a government programme, all MLAs, MPs and government officials would have been officially invited. Leave alone invitation, I have no information about the visit of the chief minister,” senior Congress leader and leader of the Opposition Narasingh Mishra told OTV.
However, Balangir MP Kalikesh Narayan Singhdeo, defended the government saying the chief minister will come here with a package for the farmers of this region.
“People in thousands will attend the meeting and welcome the chief minister,” he asserted.
On the other hand, state BJP leaders have made elaborate preparations for the visit of the Prime Minister to Bargarh to attend the Krushak Samavesh at Circus Ground.
To welcome the Prime Minister, the saffron party has put up huge posters and banners on both sides of the roads leading to Bargarh town. While top leaders of the state are personally monitoring the work, Odisha pravari Arun Singh is interacting with the local farmers and inviting them to attend the Samavesh.