Bhubaneswar: Mounting a scathing attack on senior BJP leader and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, BJD on Monday raised questions on his contribution towards the development of Angul and Dhenkanal.
BJD’s attack comes a day after Dharmendra lashed out at the Naveen Patnaik government during a visit to Angul on Sunday. He had claimed that no irrigation facility has been created in Angul and Dhenkanal in the last 23 years.
Countering the BJP leader, BJD MP from Dhenkanal Mahesh Sahu accused Dharmendra of being apathetic towards developmental work in these two places during his tenure as a Union Minister for nine years though he hails from this region.
Sahu cited the dilapidated condition of NH-55 connecting Cuttack and Sambalpur passing through Dhenkanal and Angul and questioned Dharmendra about steps initiated to solve the issue.
The BJD leader also spoke about the lamentable condition and lack development in the field of railways in the two districts. There has been no progress in the railroad construction on the Talcher to Bimlagarh route. Moreover, Talcher still remains a goods station, he said.
Despite being a Union Minister, Dharmendra has made little contribution towards the improvement of schools in these two districts. He gave the example of the efforts of the state government to transform the government school in alignment with the 5-T vision.
The BJD leader also accused Dharmendra of being unable to attract any Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) to the two districts or lobby for a medical college in the area.
