Odisha: Political Heavy weights hit campaign trail for BMC polls; Naveen star attractions [ orissadiary.com ]

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik hit campaign trail for Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls. BJD supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik campaigned for his party candidates at different ward in Bhubaneswar . 

Patnaik who attracted a huge crowd in all the places he visited during electioneering, appealed the voters to exercise their franchise for the BJD candidates for development of Odisha. BJD president assured the people that the candidates of his party would fulfil their aspirations and ensure development in their areas. Besides Patnaik, the ruling party engaged all its ministers, MPs, MLAs and senior leaders in the election campaign.  

 

Congress and BJP lack sincerity for development: Naveen [ PTI ]

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday accused the opposition Congress and BJP of lacking sincerity for the development of Odisha and the state capital in particular.

 

Patnaik, who had earlier dubbed Congress as "corrupt" and BJP as "communal", raised questions on their sincerity while campaigning for the ruling BJD candidates contesting for the January 8 elections to the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC).

 

Taking a break from the official work, Patnaik visited several wards to campaign for his party candidates in the fray. The Chief Minister started his day's campaigning from ward number 45 and appealed to the people to vote for the ruling party candidates for the overall development of the state capital.

 

While highlighting welfare programmes of the BJD government, Patnaik claimed his government had been instrumental in the welfare of people living in both rural and urban areas. The Chief Minister blamed the opposition parties for putting hurdles before developmental activities being carried out in the state by his government.

 

Leader of opposition Bhupinder Singh of Congress, who too campaigned for his party candidates in the same ward claimed the people of Odisha now wanted change. "The people across the state now say-enough is enough. The BJD has already ruled for 15 years," Singh said.

 

Singh claimed that the UPA government at the Centre has funded all the developmental activities undertaken in the BMC area. "The BJD government is taking credit for developmental works while those are funded by the Centre," the Congress leader pointed out.

 

Senior BJP leader and former minister B B Harichandan during his campaign blamed the BJD for the lack of hygiene in the state capital.

Biocon Chief meets Odisha CM, Biocon plans diagnostic units at PHCs [ www.orissadiary.com ]

Biocon Chief Kiran Mazumdar Shaw meets Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at Secretariat. 

Company chairman Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw placed a proposal to this effect before Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik while calling on him at the State Secretariat.

According to the proposal, the educated youths would be encouraged to set up diagnostic centres and, thus, can get self-employed.

Mazumdar-Shaw offered to provide technical support and training to the interested educated youths for setting up of the diagnostic centres. The proposal, if implemented fully, would certainly create a very good health network as well as employment opportunities in the rural areas, she told the Chief Minister.

Besides, this would lead to creation of a good database on health conditions and diseases and help government to make health related plans, she added.

The Government would take a decision on the proposal soon, a release from the CMO said.

Among others, Health Minister Damodar Rout, Chief Secretary JK Mohapatra, Development Commissioner Injeti Srinivas and departmental Secretary were present. 

 

Naveen campaigns for BJD in BMC polls [ Press Trust of India ]

BJD president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday hit the campaign trail in support of the Biju Janata Dal candidates in the January 8 polls to Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC).

 

Patnaik started his campaign for BJD candidates in the BMC polls from ward number 10 and covered at least four more wards before the sun set.

 

"I appeal all the voters to bless the BJD candidates in the BMC elections," Patnaik said at all the places while wooing the people for supporting the ruling party in the past.

 

Accompanied my senior party leaders, ministers, MLAs, MPs and party candidates, Patnaik at some places halted to mingle with people and sought their "blessings."

 

However, the police detained a Congress candidate and prevented him from campaigning in his ward apprehending ?trouble?.

 

Suryamani Rout, the Congress candidate from Ward No 5, was detained at 11 am while on his way to the Chakeisiani area in the city to campaign. The Commissionerate police, however, attributed the police action as a follow up on an 'intelligence input'. The police had input that the Congress candidate might create trouble during the Chief Minister's meeting, a senior police officer said.

 

Hundreds of Rout's supporters gheraoed Mancheswar police station and demanded immediate release of their leader. "It was a conspiracy to malign me before the voters," Rout alleged.

 

Rout is contesting elections against BJD's Nirmal Rout, Santosh Mohanty of BJP and two independents Anup Khuntia and Babuli Behera in Ward No 5.

 

Meanwhile, the lone trans-gender candidate in the BMC elections Menaka alias Prasant Parida, who is contesting from ward number 15, in an FIR at Nayapalli Police Station alleged that the BJD supporters abused her in filthy language besides burning and tearing down her posters, banners and other campaigning materials.

 

"I feel danger on my life as they have issued threat to beat me up," Menaka in her FIR said seeking police protection.

 

The opposition Congress and BJP also stepped up their campaign in the BMC area. Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Jaydev Jena, senior BJP leader and former minister B B Harichandan and others also campaigned for their respective party candidates.

"Odisha to enact Lokayukta Act within one month" [PTI]

Committed to absolute transparency and probity in public life, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today announced setting up of a Lokayukta in the state within a month.

Though the Central Act provides for a window period of one year for the enactment of the relevant legislation, Patnaik said the Odisha government would get it done within one month.

The Chief Minister made the announcement after the state cabinet approved a proposal in this regard.

"The chief minister as well as the council of ministers will be under the purview of the state act," Patnaik said.

Claiming that his government always took tough, effective and exemplary steps in tackling corruption, Patnaik said improving transparency and delivery of public services were the priority of his government.

"In view of our government's commitment to fight corruption and bring in transparency in public life, the state government will get the legislation enacted," the Chief Minister said.

Claiming that his government had been a pioneer in the fight against corruption, Patnaik pointed out that the Odisha government passed the Special Court Act containing provisions for confiscation of the property of corrupt public servants or Public Service Delivery Act, which facilitates providing services in a time-bound manner.

CPI, CPI(M) want Naveen to take leadership of Third Front [ Zee News ]

The ruling BJD in Odisha on Thursday claimed that CPI and CPI(M) wanted Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to take leadership of the proposed Third Front.

"Two Left parties, CPI and CPI(M) want that Naveen Patnaik take leadership of the proposed Third Front after the general elections in 2014," BJD Vice-President and Revenue and Disaster management minister Surya Narayan Patro told reporters here.

Asked whether the BJD would project Patnaik as the future Prime Minister, Patro said "Let the general elections of 2014 be completed. The party will take right decision at the right time."

CPI veteran A B Bardhan had recently met Patnaik and requested him to take leadership of the proposed Third Front while CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury had also made a similar request in the past.

Another BJD Vice-President and Health minister Damodar Rout had said that the Third Front would take a decision on whom to make the Prime Minister and added that the 'clean image' of Patnaik was better than many other leaders at the national level.

While addressing his party's 17th foundation day meeting here on December 26, Patnaik had said that the Third Front was the only alternative as the Congress was 'corrupt' and the BJP 'communal'.

Though he openly advocated the Third Front, Patnaik was yet make it clear whether he would join it.

Odisha to enact Lokayukta Act in a month's time [ Zee News ]

The Odisha cabinet on Friday decided to enact a new Lokayukta Act in the state within the next one month tackle corruption.

The chief minister and the council of ministers will also be under the purview of this proposed act, Naveen Patnaik Patnaik told reporters after chairing the cabinet meeting.

Patnaik said his government was committed to fighting corruption and ensuring transparency in public life. The state government had earlier announced that it would enact the ombudsman act three months after it was passed by the central government.

"The state government will get this legislation enacted within a period of one month, even though the central act provides for a window period of one year for implementation," the chief minister said.

President Pranab Mukherjee Wednesday gave his assent to the Lokpal Bill 2013, which was passed earlier by both houses of parliament. Under the central act, each state must also pass a Lokayukta Act within a year.

Patnaik claimed that his government had always taken tough, effective and exemplary steps in tackling corruption, improving transparency and delivering public services in a timely manner.

"Be it the passing of the Special Courts Act which has provisions for confiscation of the property of corrupt public servants or the Public Service Delivery Act, which facilitates providing services in a time-bound manner, our government has always been a pioneer in the country," he said.