Interview by Sandeep Pattnaik & Brahmipriya Samantray

Q. You are the Odisha BJP unit President. How do you visualize your party’s strength within the State? 

Ans. We are becoming stronger at the grassroot level. In Odisha, out of 36,000 polling booths, we are getting stronger in 30,000 booths, consisting of 50 local committee members in each booth. The objective is to make Mission 120 a reality in the next 2019 Assembly election.

Q. Talking about your constituency Nuapada, which are the developmental projects ongoing? 

Ans. Nuapada is a tribal dominated and drought-prone area, where six mega lift irrigation points is approved. Rs 720 crore has been funded by NABARD for pipe water supply, as here the water contains maximum fluoride. A seven-storeyed DHQ hospital and an express highway of 100 kms are underway. 

Q. Like Janaraksha Yatra in Kerala undertaken by party National president Amit Shah, how do you think the Odisha scenario here?    

Ans. The Janaraksha Yatra is basically a fight against undemocratic ruling of the Left (LDF) in Kerala. In Odisha, there is no such issue, the State is fully democratic.

Q. BJD has claimed that, the State has been deprived of its due share from the Center. What is your remark?    

Ans. During 3 years of Modi Government rule, Rs 3, 94, 000 crore the State has been sanctioned through Grant or Budgetary Provision. This apart, BJP has made the State its ‘Prayog Shala’ by taking many Jana Kalyan Karyakram into hand. Through Direct Benefit Transfer [DBT], Rs 67,000 crore has been saved.

Q. Also a senior BJD leader has accused BJP of not fulfilling its commitment of giving employment to 2 crore people, increasing MSP of paddy, returning black money to the Country etc. 

Ans. We have not committed anything regarding employment to 2 crore people. Regarding increasing MSP of paddy, it is the responsibility of the State Government. If the MSP has been already fixed at Rs 1550, then why the farmer is forced to sell at less price @ Rs 1100/ Quintal of paddy? For returning the black money, adequate step has been taken like, forming SIT to unearth black money.  

Q. As the party did remarkably well in the last Panchayat poll, will it reflect in the same way in the coming 2019 assembly election?

Ans. As told earlier, we are working towards our party National President Amit Shah’s Mission 120 plan.