BJP government in Odisha completes 500 days in office: CM Mohan Charan Majhi says all poll promises implemented

Bhubaneswar: As the BJP government in Odisha completed its 500 days in office, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday claimed that his administration has implemented all the promises made by the saffron party in the 2024 Assembly elections.

Majhi, who took oath of office as the first BJP chief minister of Odisha on June 12, 2024, in a statement thanked the people of Odisha for their support and said that keeping promises made to the people is the basic principle of his government.

"Your unwavering support and trust are the foundation of our government's success. We have promptly implemented all the promises we made as a 'people's government'. Our basic principle is 'keeping our word'; inspired by this mantra, we have set a new and people-centric standard of governance in the state," he said.

Listing the achievements of his government in the state, Majhi claimed that the farmers of Odisha are now getting Rs 3,100 per quintal of paddy as promised by the party. He said that though the MSP of paddy is fixed at Rs 2,300 per quintal, the state government provides an additional Rs 800 as input assistance to farmers.

More than 19 lakh farmers have received a direct benefit of Rs 7,411 crore. In addition, 51 lakh farmers have benefited from the CM Kisan Yojana.

About one crore women have been provided financial assistance under the Subhadra Yojana, which was launched for women's empowerment, and about 17 lakh women have moved towards financial independence as 'Lakshapati Didi'.

In addition, an investment of Rs 5.6 lakh crore has been announced to boost industrialisation, which has created about 3.6 lakh employment opportunities. An investment of Rs 4,011 crore has been initiated to develop the state as the semiconductor hub of India, he said.

To address the unemployment problem, the chief minister said that over 30,000 government jobs have been created and more than 1.64 lakh employment opportunities have been created in other sectors.

"With a focus on quality education, the work of setting up Godavarish Mishra Adarsh Primary Schools has been started in every gram panchayat. Similarly, for quick resolution of public problems, "We have been able to reach the Chief Minister's Grievance Cell at the regional level," he said.

Majhi said continuous efforts are also being made to provide health protection and inclusive development to all by implementing Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana and Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana in the state.

"Fulfilling your hopes and aspirations is our first duty," he said.

The opposition BJD came down heavily on the BJP government and alleged that 500 days of the saffron government have "brought shame for the state due to atrocities on women."

"The list of failures of the BJP government is far longer than its list of achievements," alleged BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty at a press conference here.

He said the BJP came to power by spreading "false propaganda" against the BJD government and making "fake promises" to the public.

"After coming to power, the BJP claims to have fulfilled many of its promises, but in reality, it has failed to deliver good governance and has also failed to honour most of the commitments it made to the people. The BJP's 500-day rule has left Odisha in disarray, with law and order deteriorating rapidly, and women, in particular, feeling insecure," Mohanty said.

The BJD alleged that cases of rape, gang rape, sexual harassment, and murder fill newspaper headlines every day.

Odisha now ranks 8th in the country in crime. Over 37,500 cases of atrocity against women have been registered in the last 15 months, while incidents such as the Gopalpur gang rape, suicide of a student in Balasore, and the burning alive of another girl in Balangir, have not only shocked the state but have also brought national and international shame to Odisha.

The BJD leader claimed the amount of central grants to the state has declined by 18.19 per cent in the 2024–25 fiscal year compared to 2023–24.

While Odisha's growth rate has sharply fallen, its debt burden has risen unreasonably. The Central government has released special grants to Andhra Pradesh and Bihar but ignored Odisha entirely, he said.

"Neither the 20 BJP MPs from Odisha nor the state BJP leaders have dared to question this injustice. Development activities across the state have come to a standstill, and the only visible work is repainting projects begun under Naveen Patnaik's tenure and renaming previous government schemes," he claimed.