State Planning Board Has Turned Into Ruling BJD’s Rehabilitation Centre: Congress

Bhubaneswar: A day after Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik appointed BJD leader and former minister Sanjay Das Burma as the Deputy Chairman of the State Planning Board with Cabinet rank, Congress today alleged that the Board has turned into a place for the rehabilitation of the ruling party leaders.

Congress MLA Santosh Singh Saluja said that the Board members have not met for the last 13 years. "Though the deputy chairman of the Board gets a chamber in the State Secretariat, no file reaches his table. Besides, the one appointed to the post knows nothing about the functioning of the Board," he alleged.

Saluja further said that the Board never meets for any discussion and it has now turned into a rehabilitation centre of the BJD.

Also Read: Odisha CM Appoints 10-Member Advisory Team For SCB Transformation

However, Planning and Convergence Minister Padmanabha Behera said, "We are planning to restructure the Board as per the pattern adopted by NITI Aayog for formulation of plans. We are working on it and the government will soon go for restructuring of the Board to make it more vibrant.”

After his appointment as the deputy chairman, Burma on Sunday said he will ensure that the Board functions in an efficient manner.

Burma had unsuccessfully contested the 2019 general elections from Brahmagiri Constituency in Puri district.

Also Read: Ab Tak 60 countries! Will COVID-19 Change Fate Of The World?

Earlier, the State government had reportedly appointed BJD leaders as chairpersons of the District Planning Committees (DPCs) across the State.