Bhubaneswar: In a blistering attack on the Odisha government, BJP stalwart and Leader of Opposition Jayanarayan Mishra on Tuesday accused the ruling BJD of trying to prevent the 5T-CMO issue from being raised in the Assembly.
The senior BJP leader told reporters outside the House that the ruling BJD members knew it well that opposition would raise the issue relating to 5T-CMO (Chief Minister’s Office) in the Assembly. Therefore, they deliberately raised the rice issue in the house to scuttle the opposition move, Mishra claimed.
Taking a dig at BJD MLA and former Minister Pranab Prakash Das for his remark that CMO had been to Nabarangpur and that he was ready to be a ‘slave’ to serve the people, Mishra said the opposition would not have raised the issue if the BJD leader not made such statement.
Noting that the 5T secretary can be private secretary to the Chief Minister, the firebrand BJP leader sought to know as to how he can be the CMO.
Mishra said that 5T is being called Team work, technology, transparency, transformation and time limit. While the BJD leaders earlier described 5T as a concept or a vision, now they are claiming that it is the CMO, he said.
Stating that 5T can be an employee at CMO, Mishra said cannot be the CMO.
Taking a jibe at Pranab Prakash Das, he said the way the BJD leader described himself as a slave is uncalled.
Stating that he wanted to raise the issue in the Assembly today, Mishra said the BJD created a ruckus alleging Central negligence over rice issue to prevent him from raising 5T-CMO issue.
BJD members holding posters created a pandemonium over the slashing of 5kg rice by the Centre.
Earlier Odisha government took credit by claiming that it was providing rice at Rs 1 a kg and no one is stopping them from doing so, Mishra said. He also accused the state government of being unable to utilise the funds sanctioned by the Centre.
Countering the BJP leader’s remarks, senior BJD legislator and former Minister Arun Sahoo mounted an attack on the Centre over the rice issue. He said it was not proper on the part of the Centre to stop providing 5 kg rice which was being distributed since Covid pandemic.
