BHUBANESWAR: The opposition
BJP and
Congress on Monday questioned chief minister
Naveen Patnaik and his government's achievements over the past two decades, a day before
Biju Janata Dal (BJD) will celebrate its 20th Foundation Day on Tuesday. The BJP released a 20-point list of questions to indict Naveen and sought a response.
Addressing a news conference here, the party's state general secretary
Prithviraj Harichandan
said the chief minister should inform people when they would get back a refund of the money they had lost in various chit fund scams. In July 2013, Naveen had announced a Rs 300-crore corpus for small depositors who lost their savings in the multi-crore scam.
Stating that the Naveen government was soft on mining lease-holders who indulged in illegal mining, the BJP leader said the chief minister owed an explanation on why he had issued a notice for the recovery of only Rs 17,000 crore for illegal mining when the loot was valued at over Rs 61,000 crore.
In a separate press conference, former Union minister and senior Congress leader Srikant Jena asked the chief minister to reveal the number of jobs his government had created since it assumed power in 2000. Jena said more than 40 lakh youths were currently unemployed, and that grave inequality persisted among different regions and sections of the state. "The government has done little to ensure development of all," he said. Responding to the opposition's barrage of questions, BJD spokesperson Prashant Nanda said the government did not owe the opposition any explanation. "The 4.5 crore people of the state have reposed faith in Naveen. They have voted him to power so many times. People know what the government has done for them," Nanda said.
The BJD is planning a mega congregation in Puri to mark 20 years of the party's existence.
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