BJP MLAs to Meet President, PM, Home Minister in Delhi on Odisha Issues

Bhubaneswar: A delegation of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs from Odisha, led by the Leader of Opposition, Jayanarayan Mishra, is set to head to Delhi shortly. While the exact departure date remains pending, their primary objective is to engage with key central government officials, including the President, Prime Minister, Home Minister, and Chief Election Commissioner.

Their visit holds a dual purpose: to discuss the expansion of railway infrastructure in Odisha with the Railway Minister and to meet with the ST/SC Minister. Additionally, they aim to present a memorandum highlighting concerns about the pervasive influence of political party lines in Odisha’s administrative hierarchy, extending from low-ranking employees to IAS officers. The delegation intends to address the issue of rampant corruption within the state’s government.

Notably, the Leader of Opposition, Jayanarayan Mishra, expressed the delegation’s demand for the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate matters in Odisha, similar to their actions in other states. These demands primarily pertain to unresolved cases such as the chit fund scam, mine scam, and the Vedanta land dispute, where the delegation seeks to catalyze the implementation of Supreme Court directives.

However, the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Chief, Sarat Pattanayak, dismissed the BJP’s intentions, considering the BJP and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) as closely affiliated. Pattanayak raised concerns about the delegation’s true intentions and whether their efforts would indeed lead to the involvement of the ED and CBI in Odisha, particularly in addressing long-standing issues such as the chit fund and mine scams.