BJP manifesto 'scripture' for me, says Majhi as his govt completes 100 days in office

Puri: As Odisha's first BJP government completes 100 days in office on Thursday, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said the party’s election manifesto is a “scripture” for him and his administration has fulfilled the promises made to the people.

Majhi, a tribal leader from Keonjhar district and a four-time MLA, assumed office on June 12, after the BJP dethroned the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD after 24 years.

Addressing a huge gathering here, Majhi slammed the previous BJD government claiming that the people of Odisha rejected the party in the election for being “anti-people and arrogant”.

“They (BJD) have also indulged in the heinous act of using Lord Jagannath’s name for petty political gains,” the chief minister said, without elaborating.

The last election has proved that the people do not tolerate a government that maintained distance from them and their problems, he said.

“Our party was elected by the blessings and support of the people. During campaigning, our top leaders have promised to carry out some work. During the last 100 days, we have fulfilled many such tasks. Our manifesto is a scripture for me,” Majhi said.

Odisha’s first BJP chief minister said that he has been listening to the people’s problems by regularly holding grievance meetings and a large number of issues were addressed.

Though such meetings are now being held in the state capital Bhubaneswar, the government has planned to hold such sessions in various regions of the state, Majhi said.

“We also do not need a certificate from any private organisation to beat the drums of the government. It is the people who will give the certificate to the BJP government,” he said.

On the achievements of his government during the last 100 days, Majhi said that in the first cabinet meeting, it was decided to open all four gates of Lord Jagannath Temple in Puri and reopen the Ratna Bhandar (treasury).

“These two promises were immediately met. The state government has also set up a Rs 500 crore corpus fund for Shree Jagannath Temple,” he said, adding that another Rs 200 crore corpus fund was created for upholding Odia “asmita” (pride), its Swabhiman (self-esteem) and language.

Apart from these, Majhi said, as promised in the election manifesto, the state government has already made provision of providing Rs 3,100 per quintal as the MSP of paddy.

The government has made a budgetary allocation of Rs 5,000 crore for the purpose and farmers will get the amount over their paddy sale. The state has also launched the CM-Kissan scheme for farmers, who will get financial assistance along with the PM-Samman Nidhi scheme.

The chief minister said that his government has also launched the “biggest ever” women-centric scheme, Subhadra, under which each beneficiary will get Rs 50,000 over a period of five years.

“This is assistance and not a loan. The women need not return the money, but could utilise the amount in becoming self-sufficient,” he said.

Accusing the previous BJD regime of depriving health benefits to the people of Odisha due to its “ego”, Majhi said his government was all set to implement the Ayushman Bharat scheme so that people can avail free treatment in 27,000 hospitals in and outside the state.