Cuttack: A video of community resource persons (CRP) working under Mission Shakti Mission, pledging to work for Cuttack Sadar MLA from BJD Chadra Sarathi Behera, has gone viral.
In the video. the women members at Khandeita panchayat under Cuttack Sadar block can be seen taking a pledge that they would adhere to the direction of the MLA and would create no obstruction in his work. They also pledged to work for him selflessly.
“The community resource persons took the pledge to work for the Cuttack Sadar MLA by touching Mahaprasad. This is unfortunate,” said BJP leader Dillip Mallik.
When contacted, Cuttack Sadar block development officer (BDO) Rajib Lochan Parida said that he would speak to the GPO and initiate appropriate action.
Mission Shakti is a full-fledged department in the Naveen Patnaik government, and over 70 lakh women from Odisha’s rural areas participate in economic activities via over six lakh SHGs. The Opposition has long been accusing the BJD of using Mission Shakti women as a vote bank instead of empowering them. The BJP has also cited several instances of the BJD engaging the members of women SHGs in party works like meetings, rallies and processions.
In March, Opposition BJP and Congress had slammed the government in the State Assembly for alleged misutilisation of the money being provided as loans to Self-Help Groups (SHGs). They accused the ruling party of doing politics at the expense of government fund.
