After 9 months, CM Naveen Patnaik to address his first political rally

Patnaik, who has been homebound except for a couple of public appearances at Puri and Bhubaneswar, is scheduled to inaugurate the Indravati mega lift irrigation project.

By Debabrata Mohanty

Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik. (Arabinda Mahapatra)

In a bid to take the sting out of opposition's criticism that chief minister Naveen Patnaik has kept himself indoors in last nine months, the Biju Janata Dal chief is set to make a major public appearance by inaugurating a mega lift irrigation project in Kalahandi district on January 14.

Patnaik, who has been homebound except for a couple of public appearances at Puri and Bhubaneswar, is scheduled to inaugurate the Indravati mega lift irrigation project that would help irrigate at least 26,000 hectares of farmland in Dharmagarh block, Koksara block and Jaipatna block. The 33 kilometre-long irrigation canal would irrigate 90 villages of 33 gram panchayats benefitting over 50,000 people.

After the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, Patnaik has hardly stepped outside and attends routine Cabinet meetings at State Secretariat through video conferencing from his residence Naveen Niwas. He did not even campaign for the Assembly bypolls in November last year, preferring to address the voters of Tirtol and Balasore through virtual mode.

"I am aware of your immense love and affection towards me. If I visit, you (people) will come in large numbers which may not be good for the public health during this pandemic situation. Therefore, I preferred to reach you through digital mode," Patnaik had told the voters even as opposition Congress and BJD routinely slammed him for staying indoors.

But with Covid-19 numbers on a wane, the public meeting in Kalahandi is being seen as setting the stage for the BJD's launch of the campaign for the forthcoming urban body polls scheduled to be held sometime this year. The party, which celebrated its 23rd-anniversary last month, has made elaborate arrangements for Patnaik's meeting. BJD sources said 65 MLAs and ministers have been asked to put out LED screens in 38 gram panchayats so that people can listen to his address.

BJD spokesman Pratap Deb said the Kalahandi meeting was more of an opportunity to break the political lull that has dominated the state's landscape since the beginning of the pandemic. "Not many CMs are going out in public due to the pandemic. So the CM too was indoors. Now Covid numbers are coming down and that's why he decided to come out in the public. The party recently saw a major organisational reshuffle and this would be first public meeting in its aftermath," said Deb.

Leader of opposition and BJP leader from Kalahandi, Pradipta Naik said the public meeting may signal break of political lull for the chief minister, but for people of Kalahandi it does not mean anything. "Thousands of people in the district are still waiting to get a pucca house. Nothing gets done in panchayats without greasing the officials even though he professes to run a clean administration," said Naik.