The Odisha Legislative Assembly passed the expenditure demands for the Industries and Housing & Urban Development Departments on Monday, amid a heated debate between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD).
The Congress party abstained from participating in the discussion, while BJD legislators sharply criticized the BJP government for its alleged failure to create an industry-friendly environment in the state.
Senior BJD MLA Pratap Keshari Deb led the opposition’s charge, accusing the BJP government of failing to deliver on industrial development in its nine months in power. Deb demanded the introduction of a unified industrial and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) policy to spur growth.
“The annual report presented in the House reads like a serial report, reflecting the achievements of former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s government,” Deb remarked, pointing out that the document praises the previous BJD regime. He argued that despite investment proposals worth over Rs 16 lakh crore received during the Utkarsh Odisha initiative, there has been little progress in translating these into operational industries. “The government has failed to provide a conducive environment for industries. The mining policy remains unclear, and no significant steps have been taken in nine months,” he added.
Deb also criticised the central government for prioritising states like Andhra Pradesh in the industrial corridor project while neglecting Odisha, despite the state electing 20 BJP MPs. He highlighted delays in key projects, such as the Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) initiative, which has signed three Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) but has yet to commence work.
In response, BJP legislators hit back, accusing the previous BJD government of neglecting industrial growth during its 24-year tenure. BJP MLA Dushmanta Swain countered, “The MSME department was virtually non-existent under the BJD regime. The current government is focused on creating employment opportunities.” Swain emphasized that the BJP government had secured investment proposals worth over Rs 16 lakh crore through Utkarsh Odisha within a short period, contrasting it with the BJD’s failure to establish a single integrated urban development plan despite presenting 25 budgets.
Other BJD MLAs, including Sunil Mohanty, raised concerns over inadequate urban planning, pointing to the lack of comprehensive development plans for major cities like Puri, Cuttack, and Bhubaneswar. Mohanty questioned the feasibility of the government’s plan to build new cities with a meagre allocation of Rs 200 crore and criticized the absence of updates on the Bhubaneswar Metro project in the current budget.
Meanwhile, BJP legislators like Pratap Chandra Nayak and Santosh Khatua defended the government’s efforts, accusing the BJD of leaving a legacy of stagnation in both industrial and urban development sectors.
The discussion underscored the ongoing political rivalry between the two parties, with each side blaming the other for Odisha’s industrial and urban challenges, even as the state awaits tangible progress on promised investments and infrastructure projects.
