Bhubaneswar: Naveen Patnaik completed the second year of his fifth term as the Chief Minister of Odisha Saturday. BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Odisha for the fifth consecutive term May 29, 2019.
While extreme severe cyclone ‘Fani’ had battered Odisha the year when he was sworn in as the Chief Minister, his second year also witnessed severe cyclonic storm ‘Yaas’, which left a trail of destruction in its wake. ‘Fani’ and ‘Yaas’ hit the state May 3, 2019 and May 26, 2021 respectively.
However, Naveen Patnaik is known for effective management of such nature’s furies. His prime focus on ensuring zero casualties has been earning him accolades from different quarters, including national media.
Like in case of ‘Fani’, the state government also went cracking this time and started taking measures from the day one of cyclone’s forecast. But this time, the state government had also another serious problem Covid-19 to deal with.
All’s well that ends well. Cyclone ‘Yaas’ hit hard Balasore, Bahdrak and Kendrapara. But the damages would have been beyond imaginable, had the cyclone not lost its strength before making its landfall.
Yet, the successful cyclone management in the three districts earned Naveen praise and accolades even from the rival BJP party.
Besides setting an example for other states by managing cyclones like ‘Fani’ (2019), ‘Amphan’ (2020) and the recent ‘Yaas’ successfully, Naveen has also set yet another example by not seeking any immediate assistance from the centre.
After the review meeting on post-cyclone situation in Odisha taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Bhubaneswar Friday, Naveen said, “We don’t want immediate assistance from the centre as this time the centre is overburdened with unprecedented situation arising out of Covid-19 pandemic.”
He said that the state would manage it through its own resources.
Mr. Patnaik became Chief Minister for the first time March 5, 2000, when the BJD came to power with the Bharatiya Janata Party as its alliance partner.
PNN