Bhubaneswar: The people of Odisha are the backbone of the BJD and it was with their support that it has achieved all the success, said party president and chief minister Naveen Patnaik.
Addressing the party workers on the occasion of the 25th Foundation Day of the party on virtual mode, Naveen said, “Born with the vision of Biju Patnaik, the BJD has now turned into a social movement. The party is a symbol of the trust and belief of 4.5 crore people of Odisha.”
“BJD is the only party in the country whose popularity is growing day by day. I salute the hard work, sacrifice and dedication of lakhs of party workers for this,” he said.
Naveen said the poverty rate in the state has come down from 63% to 29% and over 80 lakh people had been brought above the line of poverty. “The government is taking steps to bring down the poverty rate to 10 per cent in another five years,” he added.
“From importing food from other states, Odisha is now number 3 state in providing food to the country,” the chief minister said.
Highlighting the government’s management of successive cyclones, he said, “Odisha leads the country in disaster management and has received praise from the UN, Niti Ayog and others for its exemplary work.”
He said development of women, SCs, STs and OBCs is the priority of the government. “Odisha is ahead in providing 50% reservation to women in panchayat and civic body elections,” he added.
On the economic front, Naveen said even during the corona crisis, Odisha received investments worth Rs 4 lakh crore which is highest in the country. “This has opened new employment opportunities for lakhs of youths,” he added.
Stressing the role of 5Ts (Transparency, Technology, Teamwork, Time and Transformation) of his government, Naveen said this formula is taking every sector, from education to farming, to new heights.
Claiming that behind all the success was dream of the people for a prosperous and strong Odisha, he said, “We have no boss in Delhi. The people of Odisha are our boss. For our work, we are answerable only to the people of Odisha.”
