Pandian asks PM for 4 guarantees, extends invite for Naveen’s swearing-in

Bargarh/Sundargarh: BJD leader and 5T chairman V K Pandian on Saturday extended an invite to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is campaigning for BJP in Odisha, for the swearing-in ceremony of Naveen Patnaik as the chief minister for the sixth consecutive term on June 9.

“Naveen babu will win three-fourth majority and take oath between 1.30 am and 1 pm with the blessings of Lord Jagannath and people of Odisha. We would want you to attend the event and announce a special package for the state and also increase the coal royalty,” he said.

Pandian said the BJP will be able to achieve its 400-paar target if it can give four guarantees. “We need assurance that that the Centre would bring petrol, diesel, kerosene and LGP prices back to 2014 level and a commitment on job opportunities. People of Odisha was looking at you to fulfil these, for the rest there is Naveen babu, who is taking care of health of its citizens through Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY), has transformed schools in the state under 5T initiatives and ensured cheap mode of transport through LAccmi scheme and empowering women through Mission Shakti,” he told a gathering at Bonai in Sundargarh, while questioning the “unfulfilled” 2 crore job promise of the BJP.

The BJD leader said that the BJP has been beating drums about double-engine government and Ayushman India, whose budget is Rs 6,000 crore for the entire country while the BJD government is spending Rs 300 crore alone every month under BSKY in Odisha.

He also questioned Modi on the number of banks the central government has opened in Odisha. “It would have taken them 30 years to cover the entire state which is why the Odisha government decided to open banks in every village. Why the coastal highway has not been built in the last 10 years? Sundargarh supplies coal to the entire country. But we are only getting pollution while the money is going to the Centre and other states. We are tired of asking for a revision in coal royalty. Odisha would have got Rs 5 lakh crore more if the royalty had been paid. The Centre instead has taken Rs 80 crore from Odisha under green energy cess. This amount could have been used for improving schools and hospitals in the state. Cuttack-Sambalpur road is the worst road in India. A Union Minister also belongs to the region, despite that the double-engine government has not been able to complete the work on this stretch in these 10 years,” he claimed at another rally in Biramitrapur.

In contrast, the state government has built the Biju Expressway in 3 years, he added. He further said the BJP government has also failed to keep its promise to double the MSP for farmers. “They shed crocodile tears for farmer ahead of elections and forget all about them after the polls.”

The 5T chairman further said that BJP triggered riots in Kandhamal and peace is back in the regions thanks to the CM. “Modi is talking about making Odisha the number 1 state in the country. Was he successful in making Gujarat the no-1 state during his terms as CM? He spoke about malnutrition in Odisha. I would like to state some facts about Gujarat where 40% children are malnourished compared to 29% in Odisha. The same goes for women health. All schools in Odisha have digital boards whereas in Gujarat, students are still being taught on blackboard. Gujarat is also grappling with the problem of per capital dept, which is much more than Odisha,” he said.

At a public rally at Raghunathpali, Pandian said that BJD’s free electricity promise has given electric shock to opposition. “Free electricity promise for nearly 90% of people will come into effect from June 9 after the oath-taking ceremony,” he asserted.

He also challenged the BJP to declare its CM candidate for Odisha. “It is afraid that the moment it names a candidate, its expected tally will drop by 10%. Those campaigning against Naveen babu are tourists, who have lost people’s confidence. People of Odisha trust Naveen babu, who has uplift the poor and doubled the income of farmers. Odisha has earned global accolades for its disaster management. He has been given tickets to 33% women in Lok Sabha seats and empowering women through Mission Shakti,” he said, adding that the task to make Odisha the number state in the country should be left to the number 1 CM.