Chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi and state BJP chief Manmohan Samal are acting in sync to make the party stronger in the state. The impact of the efforts being made by them is visible in the growing popularity of the party across the state. Their combined efforts are certain to brighten BJP’s prospects in the upcoming Nuapada by-poll.
With chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi unleashing a string of welfare initiatives which have struck a chord with the people and BJP state chief Manmohan Samal leading the organisation from the front, the BJP seems set to further consolidate its position in Odisha where it came to power on its own for the first time last year.
Even as the party is pulling out all stops to wrest the Nuapada assembly seat from rival Biju Janata Dal (BJD) there are clear indications that people are leaning more and more towards the lotus which continues to expand its footprint in the state.
One important reason for BJP gaining upper hand in the political race is the fact that Jay Dholakia, the son of BJD’s deceased MLA Rajendra Dholakia – who held the Nuapada seat – has joined the saffron party. The indifferent health of former chief minister and leader of opposition Naveen Patnaik is also helping the BJP. Patnaik’s public appearances are becoming less frequent
The BJD even had to launch its annual ‘Jan Sampark Padayatra’ recently without him. This was perhaps the first time he skipped the programme which remains the most important annual mass connect programme of his party. Patnaik was reportedly in Delhi because of pressing personal engagements. But his absence fuelled speculation about his health and its likely impact on the fortunes of the party.
All this, however, is good news for the BJP which has been consistently strengthening its organisational network in Odisha as it is gearing up to play a long innings in the state. Its efforts on the organisational front have been nicely supplemented by the hard work of chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi and his team in fulfilling expectations of the people from the BJP government.
People-centric development remains the governance Mantra of Majhi who has been taking the state forward in every sphere. Recently it was decided that tribal-dominated Sundargarh would be among the four districts of the state to be developed as aspirational agriculture districts over a period of six years under the Pradhan Mantri Dhan Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY). The initiative is part of the Centre’s Mission for Atmanirbharta in Pulses. Though this is a central initiative state government will play the most important role in its implementation.
On July 16, the union cabinet had approved development of 100 aspirational agriculture districts in India including four from Odisha – Sundargarh, Kandhamal, Malkangiri and Nuapada. Through an office memorandum on October 3, the department of Personnel & Training appointed central nodal officers (CNOs) for reviewing and monitoring implementation of the scheme in the 100 selected districts. Accordingly, joint secretary of the Agriculture department Purna Chandra Kishan was appointed as the CNO for Sundargarh.
Chief district agriculture officer (CDAO) said inclusion of Sundargarh as an aspirational agriculture district under the PMDDKY was a welcome development as this would significantly boost agriculture and allied sectors in Sundargarh.
He said that Sundargarh has already started making efforts at various levels to boost crop output, enhance crop diversification and ensure sustainable agricultural practices. With focused attention, technical support, effective planning and fund support, the PMDDKY is expected to bring in enormous development in agriculture and allied sectors of the district. The CDAO said the guidelines were already there and after physical allocation of funds and approval, the scheme would be immediately launched in Sundargarh.
The PMDDKY aims to ensure and enhance agriculture productivity, crop diversification, sustainable agriculture practices and post-harvest storage at block and panchayat levels along with improving irrigation and facilitating easy long-term and short-term loans.
The scheme further ensures proactive removal of all gaps in the selected districts by converging existing schemes of Agriculture department and other allied departments besides helping partnership with other states.
To track the performance of PMDDKY districts, a dashboard similar to that being used for the aspirational districts programme is being developed by the NITI Aayog. The selected districts will be ranked on a monthly basis for progress and outcomes.
Odisha’s cultural heritage is also getting the attention it deserves for the first time. The good news is that Balijatra, the state’s ancient maritime festival, is set to make a historic debut at the British Parliament in November. For the first time, the centuries-old celebration will be organised by the Odisha Society of United Kingdom at the House of Lords on November 14, with a dynamic two-day programme bringing together international leaders, scholars and cultural influencers under the banner of ‘Ancient Maritime Glory to Sustainable Futures.”
The Bali Jatra UK-2025 festivities will continue on November 15 with an international trade fair and cultural gala in Croydon. The community-centric event will bring alive the vibrant spirit of Balijatra, showcasing Odia culture, art, music and traditions, the organisers said. “This landmark event in the British Parliament will ensure Odisha’s maritime legacy and cultural pride take their place on the world stage,” said the organisers.
OSUK organising committee spokesperson has been quoted as saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken many times about India’s historic maritime bonds and by launching Bali Jatra UK 2025 in London the organisers hope not only to bring the historic tradition to limelight but also create a vital forum for dialogue on ancient trade and civilizational heritage of the state and its relevance in modern times.
On the law and order front Odisha government has stepped up vigil on the state’s border with Chhattisgarh in view of the upcoming by-election to the Nuapada Assembly constituency on November 11. An interstate coordination meeting was held recently between senior police officials of Odisha and neighbouring Chhattisgarh to strengthen security and ensure smooth conduct of the polls. The meeting was held under the direction of the additional director general (ADG) of police, law and order.
Key issues discussed at the meeting included strengthening of border security and sealing it through interstate check posts. It has been decided to conduct joint operations against left wing extremists active in the area. The officials emphasised the need for seamless coordination and communication between the two states at all operational levels from the SP to SDPO and IIC to maintain law and order.
The meeting attended by IG, Raipur range Amresh Mishra, Mahasamund SP Ashutosh Singh and Gariabandh SP Nikhil Rakhecha from Chhattisgarh and DIG, south western range, Koraput Kanwar Vishal Singh and Nuapada SP Amritpal Singh from Odisha. The meeting is expected to inspire confidence among the people of the area.
