CM's claim of having fulfilled promises of Odisha people, 'a blatant lie': Dharmendra Pradhan

Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan Wednesday hit out at Odisha's BJD government saying Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's claim of having fulfilled all promises was a "big lie" aimed at misleading people ahead of elections. "Patnaik's claim that his government has fulfilled all promises made before 2014 polls is nothing but a blatant lie aimed at misleading people before the upcoming elections," Pradhan told reporters here.

The Union Petroleum Minister's sharp attack on the BJD government came a day after Patnaik claimed on Tuesday that his government has fulilled all the promises made by BJD to the people of Odisha before the 2014 elections. Claiming that the BJD government, which has been in power in Odisha since 2000, has "failed miserably" in keeping its promises of providing pucca houses, jobs, drinking water and irrigation, Pradhan said Patnaik has gained "expertise" in taking credit for central government schemes.

Referring to the housing sector, the BJP leader slammed the state government for claiming that it converted 20 lakh kutcha houses into pucca ones. "The fact remains that 17 lakh of these houses were built under central schemes, but Patnaik is taking credit," he said.

Pradhan also dubbed the BJD government's claims about creation of employment opportunities as "hollow" and said a large number of youths are forced to move out of the state in search of jobs. Though BJD had promised to build cold storages in all blocks, it failed miserably to translate it into action, the Union minister said and claimed that people in 70 per cent areas of the state face acute drinking water crisis in summer.

Farmers have also been hit hard as the government failed to take any concrete step to mitigate their plight, he alleged. Terming the state government's much-hyped farmers' assistance scheme as "a big joke", Pradhan said the list of applicants and beneficiaries of the programme is missing from the website.

However, BJD spokesperson Sasmit Patra said Pradhan has a habit of giving false information about state government's performance. Meanwhile, the BJP in Odisha has planned to organise a week-long "Vijay Sankalp Abhiyan" from March 10 to reach out to the people and sensitise them about party policies.

BJP Odisha unit general secretary Prithviraj Harichandan told reporters that party workers will take a pledge to ensure that Narendra Modi retains power at the Centre and the party forms government in Odisha after the upcoming elections. Assembly election in Odisha is also due along with Lok Sabha polls.

(With inputs from agencies.)