The Opposition Biju Janata Dal on Sunday accused the BJP government of turning Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s UAE visit into an expensive publicity campaign, asking whether Odisha would see real factories and jobs or only full-page newspaper advertisements.
Speaking at Sankha Bhawan, BJD spokesperson Dr Lenin Mohanty said the Chief Minister had returned from Abu Dhabi and Dubai after signing MoUs with the Adani Group and International Holding Company (IHC). These, he alleged, were largely a continuation of commitments already announced at Utkarsh Odisha–2025. He demanded to know what was new in the agreements, why an Indian company needed to be signed abroad, and why the government remained silent on BJD’s questions.
The party recalled the Chief Minister’s earlier Singapore visit, which it said produced “zero” on-ground outcome, and warned against repeating the same pattern. “Do not waste public money from the State exchequer on false advertisements,” Mohanty said. He asked whether the benefits of the UAE trip would even match the crores spent on publicity, or whether it would remain “a sightseeing programme.”
Two-and-a-half years after the BJP assumed office, the government has repeatedly claimed it has brought ₹20 lakh crore in investment and that Odisha leads other states. Mohanty countered that actual investment on the ground is “zero.” Only intents of around ₹3 lakh crore have come, he said, while about 50 small and medium units have begun initial processes without significant progress. As a result, he added, employment has not been created in proportion to the claims, and unemployed youth continue to migrate as labourers.
The government, however, presented a different picture. Majhi said the three-day outreach generated proposals worth ₹2.43 lakh crore — eight MoUs and 16 investment intents — with potential for 6.18 lakh direct jobs and nearly nine lakh opportunities including indirect employment. Combined with earlier pledges, the pipeline now stands at ₹22.5 lakh crore. A large share relates to 14 projects with IHC and Adani, including integrated aluminium units in Rayagada and Sundargarh. Industries Minister Sampad Chandra Swain said groundbreaking of projects worth about ₹3.20 lakh crore has already taken place.
Mohanty insisted the Double Engine government should place complete, project-wise details before the public instead of hiding behind announcements. The debate now centres on a familiar test in Indian state politics: how quickly MoUs signed in luxury hotels overseas become plants, pay packets and jobs at home.
