Bhubaneswar: In politics, promises are made only to be broken. This is best manifested by 34-year-old Muktikant Biswal’s 490-km “padyatra” from Rourkela to Bhubaneswar just to remind Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of the unfulfilled promises he made to the people of the steel city and adjoining villages some nine years ago.
Muktikant, who embarked on his arduous journey from Rourkela to the Capital city on November 13 carrying a load of 30 kg on his two shoulders, reached Bhubaneswar on December 14 to remind the Chief Minister of his unfulfilled promises. Mutkikant has been travelling on foot for 32 days every night to meet the Chief Minister at his Naveen Niwas. In a novel protest, he is carrying two tableaux with models of the projects Naveen promised the residents of Rourkela some nine years back.
Incidentally, Muktikant had made a similar effort in 2018 and met the Chief Minister to apprise him of the promises. He says that at that time too the Chief Minister had assured him to expedite the completion of the projects, but nothing has happened till date. “I wish to meet the Chief Minister again and show him these models. Perhaps it will remind him of his promises,” Muktikant said after reaching Bhubaneswar.
The models that Muktikant is carrying include a prototype of a barrage across the Koel river, embankment of the river, a Ring Road along the canal, upgrading the district hospital in Rourkela to the status of Capital Hospital with 400 beds and ventilator facility, and construction of a number of cold storage in the villages adjoining the steel city. According to Muktikant, the foundation stones of these projects had been launched nearly a decade ago, but there has been on progress on the work front.
