The Biju Janata Dal’s (BJD) Political Affairs Committee met today under the leadership of party president and former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to deliberate on several key issues, including national security, the current political situation in Odisha, the state’s industrial development, and internal organizational matters.
During the meeting, tributes were paid to the martyrs killed in the April 22, 2025 terrorist attack in Pahalgam. The party extended its deepest condolences to the bereaved families.
The committee praised the success of Operation Sindoor and lauded the Indian armed forces for their exceptional courage, skill, and bravery. The BJD stated that the valor of the armed forces continues to make the nation proud on the global stage.
The committee held an in-depth discussion on the prevailing political scenario in Odisha. Concerns were raised about the difficulties being faced by the public, and the committee stressed the need for the current government to focus on resolving issues and accelerating stalled development. It was emphasized that the state administration must act to fulfill public expectations.
The committee expressed satisfaction with the significant progress Odisha made in industrial development between 2015 and 2024 under the BJD government. A recent ICRA (Investment Information and Credit Rating Agency) report was highlighted, showing Odisha achieved the highest 10% Gross State Value Added (GSVA) growth in the industrial sector among 19 states, maintaining over 7% GSVA growth from 2015 to 2024.
The report was cited as a testament to the visionary leadership of Naveen Patnaik, under whom major steps were taken to boost the state’s industrial sector. The committee offered gratitude to him for these achievements.
The meeting expressed concern that the pace of economic and industrial development has slowed under the present BJP-led government. The committee criticized what it described as wasteful expenditure on cosmetic changes—such as rebranding old BJD-era schemes instead of launching substantive new initiatives—and urged the BJP government to focus sincerely on economic development using taxpayers’ money responsibly.
The committee noted with satisfaction the completion of BJD’s organizational restructuring and internal elections. It pledged full support to the party president in filling remaining leadership positions in the near future.
