Bhubaneswar: During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Odisha, the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Saturday launched a scathing attack, accusing the BJP-led central government of systematically exploiting the state’s natural resources while ignoring long-pending demands to translate development projects from words into action.
Addressing a press conference at Congress Bhawan here, former minister Debasis Nayak, senior spokesperson Sonali Sahu, Rajeeb Pattanaik, and Nalinikanth Nayak alleged that the Prime Minister has turned Odisha into a “golden goose” to favour his corporate friends.
They claimed that despite repeated assurances, the Centre has failed to set up a High Court bench in western Odisha or relocate the Western Odisha Development Council headquarters.
They also accused the double-engine government of failing to resolve the Mahanadi water dispute, despite the BJP being in power in Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and at the Centre.
Sonali Sahu questioned the Prime Minister’s frequent visits, saying he spends crores of public money on rallies without delivering anything substantial to Odisha.
She alleged that major projects have been shifted to Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, leaving Odisha’s industrial prospects neglected.
Congress leaders highlighted several unfulfilled promises, including the Coastal Highway, metro rail projects, and higher coal royalties.
PNN
