Bhubaneswar: Taking a potshot at the BJP government, the BJP claimed that Mohan Majhi has become the first Chief Minister since the formation of Odisha as a separate state to opt for an opulent VIP residence in New Delhi.
The central government has allotted a bungalow for the Odisha CM at 2 Teen Murti Lane in New Delhi for his stay during his official visit to the national capital in view of the construction of the new Odisha Bhawan in Chanakyapuri area after demolition of the old building late last year. The state government will pay normal licence fee to the directorate by seventh of every month for the allotted quarter.
Majhi had been staying in Ashoka Hotel during his trips to New Delhi.
“The state already maintains Odisha Bhavan, Odisha Niwas, and Odisha Sadan in the national capital. With Odisha Bhavan currently under reconstruction, temporary arrangements had been made for the Chief Minister’s Delhi stays in a five-star hotel. Despite these facilities, Majhi—who presents himself as a ‘people’s Chief Minister’—has chosen a lavish VIP bungalow instead,” said BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty told a presser on Saturday.
Mohanty also criticised the proposal of the state police’s Special Branch to the Home Department, seeking approval to deploy a platoon of armed personnel, led by a camp commander, to provide security for the CM at his Delhi residence.
“Protocol dictates that Delhi Police handle security for visiting Chief Ministers. This raises concerns—does the Odisha CM lack confidence in Delhi Police? Deploying an entire platoon from Odisha Police comes at a significant expense to the state treasury,” he argued.
The BJD leader contrasted it with former CM Naveen Patnaik, who, despite 24 years in office, maintained a modest lifestyle and never sought a Delhi bungalow funded by public money. “Why, after merely 18 months in power, has Majhi deemed this necessary? Could it stem from insecurity amid internal conflicts within the Odisha BJP?” he asked.
