Shah praises Patnaik for curbing LWE in Odisha

Patnaik, who recently set the record of becoming the second longest serving chief minister of a state in the country, said Odisha always believed in cooperative federalism

Updated on: Aug 6, 2023, 24:08:14 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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Bhubaneswar: Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday praised the Odisha government headed by chief minister Naveen Patnaik for their efforts in bringing down human casualties in natural disasters and to curb Maoist activities in the eastern state.

Union home minister Amit Shah held a review meeting in Bhubaneswar on the disaster management and left-wing extremism situation in Odisha, which was attended by chief minister Naveen Patnaik and senior officials from Union and state government. (ANI)

Shah held a review meeting on the disaster management and left-wing extremism (LWE) situation in Odisha, which was attended by Patnaik and senior officials from Union and state government.

“I thank Naveen babu and the Odisha government for reducing the Maoist menace. Odisha has also achieved almost zero casualties [during natural calamities] through disaster management,” Shah said in Bhubaneswar. “Naveen babu has supported the Narendra Modi government’s anti-Maoist and disaster management initiatives.”

The home minister, who was on a day-long visit to Odisha, stressed that the Centre is committed towards eliminating LWE from the country.

“The Odisha government and Naveen babu have always supported the Centre in combating Naxals. The [Bharatiya Janata Party] BJP government at the Centre is committed to rooting out Naxalism from the country,” Shah said.

Earlier in the day, Shah inaugurated the Kamakhya Nagar-Duburi Section of National Highway-53 and dedicated it to the nation.

Patnaik, who recently set the record of becoming the second longest serving chief minister of a state in the country, said Odisha always believed in cooperative federalism.

“I thank the government of India for its support to the state in its development agenda,” Patnaik said in response to Shah’s praise on his government.

Shah’s visit to Odisha came two days after Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal (BJD) extended support to the Union government on the National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023 in Parliament. The contentious bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on Thursday by a voice vote, amid an Opposition walkout.

The BJD has also announced its decision to vote against the opposition’s no-confidence motion, which is likely to come up in Parliament next week.

The BJD and BJP fight against each other in the state assembly elections, which are held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls. In the past, Shah had targeted Patnaik, calling him a “burnt-out transformer”.

“Amit Shah praised Naveen Patnaik for the good work and governance. However, unlike other CMs, Naveen Patnaik believes in cooperative and constructive federalism and he has always taken steps in the best interest of the state. Nothing more should be read into the situation,” senior BJD leader and state’s revenue minister Pramila Mallik said.

BJP state president Manmohan Samal said the Union home minister in a meeting with party leaders made it clear the BJP has to fight tooth and nail against the BJD. “He asked us to further strengthen the party and reach out to the people,” Samal added.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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