New Delhi: Following a meeting with Union Petroleum and Steel Minister Dharmendra Pradhan at Odisha Bhawan here, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Friday stated that the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) believed in ‘constructive cooperation’ with Centre.
The Chief Minister Friday discussed issues like job opportunities and welfare of state through Central and state government schemes with Pradhan in the national capital. This was the first meeting of the duo in Delhi after Pradhan became minister.
“I held a cordial meeting with Union Petroleum and Natural Gas and Steel Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on employment opportunities and development of state through mutual schemes of the Centre and state for Odisha,” said Naveen Patnaik.
He further said that a lot of good things will come out from this meeting.
While speaking to the media after the meeting, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that he held discussion on the devastation caused to the state by cyclone Fani and also talked about better coordination between state and Centre for the development of the state.
“We discussed about enhancing the steel industry in Odisha to make it a global hub for ancillary industry in the steel sector. Steel will play a major role in bringing employment and prosperity to Odisha. I will also focus on producing 100 metric tonne steel from Odisha,” Dharmendra Pradhan said.
During the meeting, the Union Minister also handed over a cheque of Rs 3 crore— contributed by Steel Authority India Limited (SAIL) for relief and restoration work in the aftermath of extremely severe cyclone— to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
Meanwhile, the Odia diaspora living in Delhi met Naveen Patnaik and congratulated him for his victory in the elections. I’m thankful to people of Odisha living here for congratulating me,” said Patnaik