BJD will be a strong and vibrant opposition in Parliament

BJD will be voice of 4.5 crore people of Odisha in Parliament
Bhubaneswar, 24/06/2024: The Biju Janata Dal Parliamentary Party meeting was chaired this morning by Hon’ble BJD President Shri. Naveen Patnaik and attended by all the nine Rajya Sabha MPs of the Party. Addressing the BJD Parliamentary Party, Shri. Naveen Patnaik said, “Be the voice of 4.5 crore people of Odisha in the Parliament. We will be a very strong and vibrant opposition and will make the Centre accountable on all issues. The BJD MPs will raise all the issues pertaining to the state’s development and the welfare of the people of Odisha. Many just and rightful demands of Odisha haven’t been met. We must ensure that those demands are met in right earnest by the Centre.” The extensive meeting of the Parliamentary party deliberated on the various demands that have been pending for the state of Odisha.
It was decided that the BJD would take up the long-standing demand for Special Category State for Odisha. BJD has been fighting for it over the past many years. The State has been facing natural disasters and needs to be accorded Special Category State. In fact, Odisha BJP had also specified it in its election manifesto in 2014 but did not do it.
National Highways situation in Odisha is bad. Massive delays in NH projects in Odisha and poor NH maintenance. NH projects like Cuttack-Sambalpur National Highway are causing great pain to the people. No work has started on Coastal Highway for the past ten years. It could have helped the economic development of Odisha but sadly nothing has happened. If the Odisha Capital Region Ring Road near the Odisha Capital city Bhubaneswar had been done, the capital region would have grown more rapidly with it but there is no development in this regard despite our repeated demands. The BJD MPs would raise the demand for completion of all these incomplete National Highway works.
BJD has been demanding to provide for PMAY houses for the last many years. More than 15 lakh houses were blocked for the past ten years. It is going to demand to provide at least 20 lakh PMAY houses in first instance to Odisha. It will further demand the establishment of Kendriya Vidyalayas in each Block of Odisha as well as establishment of Eklavya Schools in each Block of Odisha which are in the Scheduled Areas as well as in those Blocks which have tribal population. On health, BJD will demand the establishment of full-fledged AIIMS Hospitals in Sambalpur, Koraput and Balasore (not satellite units) like it has been established in Bhubaneswar addressing the needs of the north, western and southern regions of Odisha.
For the youth, BJD would demand setting up of IT Park, Semiconductor Park, MSME Park, Textiles Park and Industrial Corridor for providing employment to the youth of Odisha. For tribal Development, it would demand for inclusion of 162 communities in ST list of Odisha which is pending with Centre. This delay is depriving 162 communities of Odisha from the benefits of STs. BJD has been demanding for many years but sadly these communities haven’t been added. It would also demand for inclusion of Ho, Mundari, Bhumij, Saora and Kui languages in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution as well as withdrawal of GST on Kendu Leaf. GST is charged at 18% presently and earlier was 5%. Hon’ble Party President Shri. Naveen Patnaik had written several times to Centre when he was Chief Minister, for complete withdrawal of GST on Kendu leaves but it hasn’t been done. GST withdrawal would help nearly 10 Lakh Kendu Leaves Workers of the State, 90% of who are women and tribals.
The delayed payments of Fasal Bima to farmers of Odisha due to Centre’s neglect and profiteering by insurance companies is causing great pain to the farmers of Odisha. BJD would demand timely and just payments of Fasal Bima to farmers of the State. It would further demand for fixing MSP for one quintal of Paddy in line with the Swaminathan Commission Committee recommendations. Though the BJP has promised to give MSP at Rs.3100 but it has failed to implement it so far. BJD would also demand for ensuring availability of Fertilisers for the farmers. For building better connectivity in the State, BJD would demand ensuring connectivity to all districts of Odisha by Railways and increasing its coverage. Further, there is a need to establish Brick and Mortar Banks in each GP of Odisha for ensuring financial inclusion of the 4.5 crore people of Odisha. There is also a demand for ensuring 100% coverage of Mobile and Digital Connectivity across all GPs of Odisha. People have to climb trees and mountains for getting connectivity. Their pain is unbearable.
There are several pending demands of State such as demand for increasing coal royalty for Odisha which has not been increased for the past almost 10 years. This is causing great loss to the people of Odisha who are deprived of their rightful share for using it in their development. BJD will raise that apart from the demand for approval for all pending irrigation projects including Mahanadi projects inside Odisha. It would also demand that Ahimsa should be included in the Preamble of the Constitution which was unanimously resolved in the Odisha Legislative Assembly and as proposed by the then Hon’ble CM and BJD President Shri. Naveen Patnaik. It would also demand immediate implementation of 33% reservation for women in the Parliament and State Legislative Assemblies.
The BJD MPs expressed their earnest gratitude to the Hon’ble BJD President for his leadership, vision and direction and reiterated their commitment, dedication and robust efforts for raising the voice of Odisha and the 4.5 crore people of Odisha in the Parliament as directed by Hon’ble BJD President. The BJD MPs thanked the Hon’ble BJD Party President for chairing the Parliamentary Party meeting and giving them vision and direction. The BJD Party President asked all the MPs to keep serving the people of Odisha and keep working for the development of 4.5 crore people of the State.