1 day Ago By SN Agragami
June 4 results were a shocker for both the then-ruling BJD and the Opposition BJP. The tide had turned beyond the wildest expectations of both. Defeating a political giant like Naveen Patnaik, who had dominated the state for 24 years to virtually become Odisha’s political identity for all of the 21st century till now, was a herculean feat, especially when he still commands immense popularity among the masses.
Yet, the people voted for change, dismantling the firmly entrenched power centre. As the BJP made history by forming its first-ever government in the state, the spotlight shifted to Mohan Charan Majhi, a tribal leader tasked with ushering in a new era. With high expectations and a mandate for transformation, Majhi’s first 100 days as chief minister have been closely watched as a crucial marker for the new government’s performance and its ability to deliver on promises.
The 100 days of the BJP government, though, have been a flurry of action and adjustment. The government quickly got to work, making delivery of promises its top priority. However, the inexperience in leading the state administration, with most ministers being first-timers, has been starkly manifested.
At times, it seems as though the left hand is not aware of what the right is doing. Out-of-turn announcements and U-turns on decisions have led to confusion on quite a few occasions. Teething problems aside, the BJP government has actually laid the foundation and given ample evidence of its intent to deliver on its promises to the people.
On day 1, immediately after the swearing-in of the government, the Mohan Majhi cabinet took a decision to fulfil the four major promises made to the people during elections – opening all the four gates of Shree Jagannath temple at Puri for entry of devotees, implementing the Subhadra Yojana under which cash voucher of Rs 50,000 would be provided to each woman of the state, increasing the minimum support price of paddy to Rs 3,100 per quintal and reinventorisation of the valuables of Ratna Bhandar, the treasury of Srimandir, along with investigating its missing keys. All of them have been implemented. The four gates of Srimandir are now open and after initial hiccups, the entry and exits have been streamlined.
The Ratna Bhandar has been reopened and its contents are ready for audit. The government, though, is yet to make its stance clear on investigating the missing keys of the treasury. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched the eagerly-awaited Subhadra Yojana.
Changes in the original promise like extending the Rs 50,000 assistance period from two to five years and imposing stricter eligibility criteria notwithstanding, the scheme has received tremendous response from women. The first budget presented by the chief minister, who also holds the Finance portfolio, outlined the focus of the government. With an outlay of Rs 2,65,000 crore for the fiscal, he announced 19 new initiatives covering agriculture, health, industries, education and service sectors.
Housing, electrification and drinking water have also been in top focus. Majhi has consciously tried to present himself as a ‘People’s CM’ in contrast to the aloofness of his predecessor Naveen. One of the first decisions taken by him was to revive the public grievance hearing which had been discontinued since 2008.
While he and the ministers are holding Janata Darbars, such system is also being implemented at the district-level. The successes apart, a lack of coordination has also been apparent on many occasions when the chief minister and his colleagues made announcements only to take them back. The first controversy was ignited by a minister stating that a total prohibition in the state was in the offing.
This prompted the excise department to issue a clarification against it. The sports department issued a circular for renaming the prestigious Biju Patnaik Sports Award which caused huge uproar in the state resulting in the chief minister personally issuing a denial. Majhi too did a U-turn after making a statement in the Assembly that there were no plans for establishing a permanent high court bench in any other part of the state.
As the BJP prepares to celebrate the landmark on Thursday, state party president Manmohan Samal said, “The government led by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has fulfilled all major promises made in the election manifesto in the first 100 days of coming to power. We have achieved what any previous government could not. We have the unique distinction of not only fulfilling the promises but possess the courage to give the report card of our performance.
We are going to present the report card of the first 100 days of Odisha government tomorrow.” The Opposition, however, has termed the government a dismal failure. Member of the BJD steering committee Debi Prasad Mishra said, “The BJP government in the state has been high on rhetoric and low on delivery.
It has not fulfilled any promise yet. The party has cheated the women of the state in Subhadra Yojana by excluding a majority and extending the tenure. All development works in the state have been stalled and people are already voicing their dissatisfaction.
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