Berhampur: BJD Supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today formally launched campaigning for the ensuing election from his home turf Hinjili in Ganjam district.
The Chief Minister put forth his progress card before the people and sought their blessings in this poll.
Shri Patnaik slammed the opposition terming them anti-development and pledged to make Odisha the number one State in the country by 2036.
He said the opposition parties are “obstructing” developmental works in the State. He said the people of Odisha knew the real faces of the opposition, who would never succeed in opposing the state’s development.
“Development is our identity. However, it is unfortunate that Opposition parties are obstructing it. Be it the Srimandir Parikrama project or Ekamra project or Samalei project, the opposition parties have been politicising everything. Opposition is engaged in anti-development propaganda. The people of Odisha know their true nature,” Patnaik told a huge gathering at Hinjili.
Noting that none has become successful by opposing development, Patnaik called upon the people to make the coming 10 years as the ‘decade of Odisha”.
He mentioned the flagship developmental projects of the BJD Government and pledged to make Odisha as the number one state of the country by 2036.
The BJD president said Odisha as a separate State would complete 100 years in 2036. Therefore, the coming decade from 2024 to 2034 is crucial for the state as during this period the state has to make its foundation strong in order to become number one in all sectors.
He said the period from 2024 to 2034 would be the decade of development for Odisha and a golden period for the youth of Odisha, focusing on skill development, employment, and attracting investment from around the world.
Chief Minister also highlighted his government’s transformational initiatives and said that around 70 lakh women have become drivers of transformation in the state.
“Farmers are getting loans at zero per cent interest in the state. Likewise, Mission Shakti members have so far received Rs 18,000 crore interest-free loan. This is a milestone in the development of Odisha. The BJD is number one in giving women their rights,” Patnaik said while wooing ‘mothers’ (women) to bless the BJD by voting for the conch symbol, the BJD’s poll symbol.
Claiming that Odisha was a pioneer in many fields including disaster management, the chief minister said the state has been a leader in the field of women empowerment.
Apart from being a food surplus State, Patnaik said Odisha has received a lot of investment. The Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojna (BSKY) is a unique health assurance scheme in the country while a special budget for farmers is the first of its kind in the nation, he said.
The CM said the State will introduce a youth budget in the coming days.
BJD Supremo addressed two well-attended public meetings, one at Hinjili and another at Shergarh under Aska Parliamentary Constituency.
Describing the 4.5 crore people of Odisha as his family, the BJD supremo sought their blessings and support for the development of the State.
The Chief Minister urged the people to vote and bless “Jodi Sankha” (double conch), which is the identity of Odisha as well as development. The conch is the party symbol of the ruling BJD.
He said that with the blessings of the people, the BJD would win the assembly elections with an absolute majority in the upcoming election and also perform much better in the Lok Sabha elections in the State.
