During his visit to Kandhamal district on Monday Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik claimed that his government was making efforts to explore avenues of tourism and horticulture for development of the region.
Mr Patnaik, airdashed to this communally volatile underdeveloped district of south Odisha by helicopter. His trip to Kandhamal from Bhubaneswar was reportedly delayed by around three hours due to some technical snag in the helicopter. Yet during his few hours in Kandhamal district, Mr Patnaik attended public meetings in Phulbani, Baliguda and Daringbadi. He dedicated 32 developmental projects worth around 60 crore rupees for the public in Kandhamal district. These projects include a skill development centre in district headquarter town Phulbani, a town hall for Baliguda and a new fire station at Daringbadi.
Ample security arrangements had been made by police for the visit of the CM as the Congress and BJP activists had threatened to protest against this visit. On October 26 eggs had been hurled at the CM during his visit to Mayurbhanj district. According to police sources, a total 23 platoons of police force had been deployed for this visit of the CM. Nine platoons were placed in Phulbani town, six at Daringbadi and eight platoons at Baliguda. Some BJP and Congress activists had been detained by police as precautionary measure.
Through a release, Kandhamal district Congress alleged that Mr Patnaik’s visit to the district on Monday was only aimed at wooing voters through promises and foundation stones ahead of the coming panchayat polls. During this visit the CM was accompanied by State forest and environment minister Bikram Arukha, Kandhamal MP Pratyusha Rajeswari Singh, BJD MLAs of the district Duguni Kanhar, Rajib Patra.
Mr Kanhar during the public meeting in Phulbani urged the CM to consider establishment of a medical college in Phulbani and to review the quality and progress of ongoing road projects in the district.
Potential for tourism
While addressing public in Phulbani, Baliguda and Daringbadi, Mr Patnaik said Kandhamal district has much potential for tourism and horticulture. He added that his government is exploring possibilities of development in these spheres in Kandhamal. He claimed that his government was working for all sections of people of the society with extra stress on the poor and backward section. As per him it has made his government ‘most stable and dependable’. He also pointed out that all collectors of the state have been instructed to give priority to redress genuine grievances of the downtrodden.
