The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) will be a strong and vibrant Opposition in Parliament and make the Centre accountable for all issues, said party supremo Naveen Patnaik on Monday.
The BJD has nine members in the Rajya Sabha, while it failed to win any seat in the Lok Sabha election. A meeting of the BJD Parliamentary Party was convened in Bhubaneswar, which was attended by the nine MPs.
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Chairing the meeting, Mr. Patnaik told them: “Be the voice of the 4.5 crore people of Odisha in Parliament. We will be a very strong and vibrant Opposition and will make the Centre accountable for all issues. The BJD MPs will raise all 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,” he said.
It was decided that the BJD would take up the long-standing demand for Special Category Status for Odisha as the State has been facing natural disasters.
‘Projects held up’
“The condition of National Highways in Odisha is bad, with inordinate delays in work and poor maintenance being a major cause of concern. NH projects such as the Cuttack-Sambalpur National Highway are causing great pain to the people. Work has not started on the coastal highway for the past 10 years,” said the party in a statement.
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The Parliamentary Party also deliberated on the proposed Odisha Capital Region Ring Road near Bhubaneswar. “Proposals to build more than 15 lakh houses were blocked over the past 10 years. The party is going to demand at least 20 lakh Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana houses,” said the regional party.
More schools
The BJD plans to demand Kendriya Vidyalayas in each block of Odisha, and Eklavya schools in every scheduled (tribal) block.
The regional party will push for the establishment of AIIMS in Sambalpur, Koraput and Balasore, similar to the one established in Bhubaneswar. The BJD reiterated its demand for setting up IT parks, semiconductor parks, textiles parks and industrial corridors, for providing employment to the youth of Odisha.
It has also demanded inclusion of 162 communities in the Scheduled Tribe list of Odisha. The proposal in this regard is pending with the Centre. Other demands include increasing coal royalty, approval for all pending irrigation projects, and immediate implementation of 33% reservation for women in Parliament and State Legislative Assemblies.
Published - June 24, 2024 06:33 pm IST
