‘Sana Babu’ Has Hijacked Govt & People’s Mandate, Says Aparajita Sarangi; Lists Out Poor Governance In Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Launching a scathing attack on Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and 5T chairman V K Pandian, BJP leader Aparajita Sarangi on Wednesday said that a dormant government is functioning in Odisha with a ‘Sana Babu’ having hijacked the governance system and people’s mandate.

“Since COVID outbreak in March 2020, the CM is not going to the secretariat regularly. He is also hardly seen in public. No Sana Babu can take the place of Bada Babu, who has the people’s mandate,” the Bhubaneswar MP and BJP’s Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha candidate told a presser in an indirect reference to Pandian and Naveen. 

Aparajita further alleged that the ‘Sana Babu’ had to resign from service for his “wrongdoings” and for the same reason, the ‘5T Vision’ data had to be removed from the website of the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO). “During elections, BJD seeks votes in the name of Chief Minister but after election the ‘Sana Babu’ takes over the government. The Chief Minister should not outsource his government. This licence to loot Odisha should be given to the BJD again,” she said.

The Bhubaneswar MP further said that several BJD leaders have joined the BJP in Odisha in the last 3 to 4 months as they are not being allowed to meet the CM. “Odisha Chief Secretary, DGP, Ministers, MLAs have to seek permission of the ‘Sana babu’ to meet the CM,” she stressed.

Quoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, she said that Odia Asmita is under threat and Odisha needs a young, healthy and dynamic CM. “Odisha has plenty of natural resources and it is enough to become a leading state in the country. Despite having talented human resources, the state is lagging behind in terms of per capita income. The kind of poverty seen in Odisha is appalling. If BJP comes to power in Odisha, We will show how development takes place. The CM should be able to communicate with us in Odia and should be a youth and healthy,” she said.

The BJP leader also questioned BJD’s move to make CM Naveen Patnaik to contest from two Assembly seats, including Hinjili, in the heat of the summer. “People are aware that it is being done to ensure backdoor entry of the ‘Sana Babu’,” she alleged.

Taking about Srimandir Parikrama Prakalpa, Aparajita challenged the government to put up the details of the expenditure entailed in the project in public domain. “Rs 4,200 crore was spent on the project from the state budget and everything was done in a secretive and non-transparent manner. Rs 800 crore was alone spent on laying the pathway and building 4 toilets. In contrast, the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya was built at a cost of Rs 1,400 crore through public donations,” she said, adding that all works pertaining to the Lords should be done in a transparent manner.

Aparaijita said that Odisha ranks no 1 as far as unemployment of educated youths is concerned as per the International Labour Organisation’s 2024 report, released after a survey in 22 states. “The report says that 42 per cent educated youths in Odisha are unemployed. The Odisha government has even failed to provide jobs to youths with MBA and diploma degrees,” she claimed, while also blaming it for the distress migration of labour from state.

She also spoke about dismal performance of Odisha in export of IT-enabled services because of which youngsters from Odisha are forced to leave the state. “Minister Pritiranjan Ghadei had himself said that 1 lakh posts in government departments are lying vacant. 98, 348 posts in 41 government departments are vacant in Odisha,” she said.

She further slammed the government for its poor delivery of services. “The Awaas portal of Odisha was not uploaded for months together leading to delay in allocation. The Centre had sanctioned Rs 10,000 crore under Har Ghar Jal Yojna, but the state could spend only Rs 4,200 crore,” she alleged.

The BJD is yet to respond to these allegations.