Bhubaneswar: Opposition BJD Tuesday said the previous government headed by Naveen Patnaik had attracted investment intents worth Rs 16 lakh crore in three Make in Odisha conclaves.
The concept of holding business summits in Odisha was implemented by Patnaik, former industries minister Debi Prasad Mishra said.
Such an event was first held in 2016 followed by two other conclaves in 2018 and 2023, he said.
“The state had received Rs 16 lakh core proposals for investment of which projects worth Rs 7 lakh crore could be grounded. This is about 34 per cent of the investment intents made by different industries,” Mishra said.
The investors from India and abroad become attracted to Odisha because of Patnaik’s efforts, he said.
Though the event was biennial, it could not be held in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mishra said.
The BJP government held the 4th edition of the conclave, but changed its name to Utkarsh Odisha – Make in Odisha Conclave 2025, he claimed.
The former industries minister said there is nothing wrong in organising a business summit, but the government should be careful in formulating required policies to facilitate investors to ground their projects.
“The major factor is confidence among investors and another is the law and order situation in the state. If the investors do not feel secure, they may not come forward to invest in the state. Peaceful industrial climate is very important,” he said.
Replying to a question, Mishra said: “Let us wait how much investment intents come through this conclave. The chief minister has set the target at Rs 5 lakh crore.”
Meanwhile, Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi claimed that there was a flow of investors to the state after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech at the conclave Tuesday.
“We hope the state will get investment intents of three to four times more than the target,” Majhi told reporters.
Odisha’s industries minister Sampad Chandra Swain claimed that the state has already received investment proposals worth Rs 4.5 lakh crore.
Earlier, during these seven months, the government has already approved investment proposals of Rs 2.5 lakh crore. Taking both together, the state’s target has been fulfilled, he said.
Swain also said more MoUs will be signed on the concluding day of the two-day event which began Tuesday.
Meanwhile, ruling Odisha BJP vice president Biranchi Narayan Tripathy criticised the BJD and alleged that the previous government could not win the trust of investors for which the industrial development could not be achieved in the last 24 years.
“The BJD government completely failed to keep its promises to investors and now they are surprised to see the pace of development under the double-engine government. The Prime Minister himself has taken the responsibility for making Odisha a developed state,” Tripathy said.
PTI
