Bhubaneswar, Oct 2 — Odisha's Leader of Opposition (LoP) and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) President Naveen Patnaik on Friday launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state government, saying that the state is passing through a difficult phase marked by textbook errors, delays in the disbursement of old-age pensions, farmers' distress, problems faced by women, and deteriorating law and order.
The LoP made the remarks while launching the BJD's annual 'Jan Sampark' padayatra from the Ekamra Assembly constituency in Bhubaneswar on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti on Friday.
This annual month-long mass contact padayatra by the BJD will continue till November 2.
Patnaik, the former Chief Minister, said that BJD has always remained in the hearts of the people for its good work and will continue to remain so.
Speaking on the prevailing situation in the state, Patnaik said, "Odisha is currently going through a difficult phase. The BJP government claims to be a people's government. But there is no one to listen to the people. Children do not have textbooks. The elderly do not have pensions. Farmers are suffering. Women are suffering. There is no law and order."
Taking a jibe at the BJP-led state government over its alleged failures and mismanagement, Patnaik said the BJP-led state government could not manage even a single Rath Yatra properly.
"Mismanagement in flood relief, mismanagement in paddy procurement, recruitment exam mismanagement, mismanagement in financial system. In every work, this (BJP) government has failed," the BJD supremo added.
Patnaik said that people are now saying that perhaps the BJP government has acquired "special expertise" in mismanagement.
The former Chief Minister claimed that the Central government took away the rights of the people of Odisha over mines.
He alleged that the Odisha government however remains silent.
The BJD President said that 20 BJP MPs are also keeping silence instead of raising their voice for the people of Odisha.
"However, the BJP MPs are ready to fight for mine owners," Patnaik alleged.
"The less said about children's textbooks, the better. Thousands of errors. But the state government is unwilling to take accountability," he lamented.
He also said that revenue collection in the state has been declining and budgetary allocations are not being fully utilised.
"No developmental work is being done, but the debt burden continues to increase. Where is the money going?" he asked.
Patnaik urged the BJD workers and leaders to further intensify its fight for Odisha in the coming days, saying that the party has been fighting for the state by following the ideals of former Chief Minister and Naveen Patnaik's father late Biju Patnaik.