Baripada/Anandapur: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari went on a marathon campaign for BJP nominees in the Parliamentary and Assembly constituencies of Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj districts Thursday.
Addressing the party’s Vijay Sankalp Sabha at Chhau Grounds in Baripada, Gadkari came down heavily on the BJD government and the Congress.
“The Congress has ruled Odisha and the country earlier, but it has committed treachery against Dalits and tribals. In the last five years, the BJP-led NDA government has done what has not been done by the Congress government in the last 50 years,” he said.
“Although the NDA government had made attempts to push development in the state, the BJD government in the state has not cooperated,” he added.
Gadkari said two km of road was being laid per day earlier, but now 34 km of road is being laid.
“The development of surface transport will help industries which will ultimately generate employment,” the Union minister said.
He asserted that the Centre has invested Rs 1 lakh crore in Paradip port and there was a plan to allot Rs 6,000 crore for the railway line from Paradip to Talcher, but the state government did not cooperate.
The minister urged the people to vote for MP nominee Bisweswar Tudu, MLA nominees Krushna Chandra Mohapatra, Prakash Soren and Sugda Murmu. Later, he left for Anandapur and Ghasipura areas in Keonjhar.
Addressing a rally at Shalapada in Anandapur, Gadkari said the state government had failed in implementing Central schemes properly. He said that unemployment is a major issue in the state. The Union minister also highlighted the achievements of the Modi government in the last five years.
Interestingly, most chairs at the meeting were vacant when Gadkari turned up. He was supposed to hold the meeting at 12 noon, but reached the venue only at 3.20 pm. Upset over that most people had left.
PNN