Odisha CM’s Home Turf Ganjam Neglected To Defame Him: Pradeep Panigrahi

Gopalpur: Taking a swipe at Odisha officials, senior legislator and former BJD leader Pradeep Kumar Panigrahi has alleged that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s home district Ganjam is being neglected as part of a conspiracy to tarnish his image.

This was stated by the Gopalpur MLA while participating in a padyatra at Tikarada village in his constituency on Saturday. “Thousands of crores of rupees are being announced for many developmental projects in different parts of the state, barring Ganjam, Chief Minister’s home turf,” the former minister said.

“There is a conspiracy to defame the Chief Minister in his own district by neglecting the culture, traditions as well as socio-political and economic sectors of Ganjam,” Panigrahi claimed.

Stating that a senior official has been visiting different districts and announcing crores of rupees for many projects, including development of medical colleges, the lawmaker said that not a rupee has been announced for the development of MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur on which people of 10 districts in southern Odisha depend.

“Though people of Naveen’s home district have high expectations from the government, they are compelled to depend on hospitals in Andhra Pradesh for healthcare services,” he said and sought to know whether the government will take any step to strengthen the state-run hospital.

Similarly, thousands of crores of rupees are being announced for the development of temples across the state, but no money has so far been provided for any temple in Ganjam, Panigahi claimed. “I had demanded Rs 100 crore for revival of Panchama Ganesh temple, but my plea went unheeded,” he lamented.

Panigrahi also asked the three major political parties to tell people as to what steps they have taken to make an efficient woman the state’s chief minister.

Criticising different projects being inaugurated by the Chief Minister, he said this is not a healthy practice in a democracy. If this becomes a tradition, MLAs, Zilla Parishad and block chairpersons and Sarpanchs will have no role, he said.