BJP set for daily poser to CM

BHUBANESWAR: With the ruling BJD claiming rapid progress in the last 17 years and the State topping the list on poverty reduction during its ‘Jana Sampark Padyatra’ beginning on Monday, the BJP said the public contact programme launched by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik here is an attempt to cover up his Government’s failure.Announcing his party’s decision to pose a question daily to the Chief Minister during the 10-day padyatra of the BJD, BJP general secretary Pruthiraj Harichandan dared the ruling party to explain the people why so many under-construction bridges are collapsing.

Collapse of seven under-construction bridges, including strategically important Gurupriya Setu in the Maoist-infested Malkangiri district and the road over bridge at Bomikhal in the city, raises question about the safety of other bridges.Since the Chief Minister heads the Works Department, the nodal agency of the Government for construction of major bridges in the State, he is answerable to the people about the failure of his department.

The public perception about the collapse of bridges is that such things are occurring due to nexus between contractors and ruling party leaders. Besides, practice of ‘PC’ (percentage commission) for awarding contracts is still rampant despite Chief Minister’s instruction to stop it, Harichandan said. Earlier, the Chief Minister had taken the heads of several of his Cabinet colleagues on shadow of corruption charges. The time has come for the Chief Minister to step down on moral ground for failure of his department. He should follow the principles he had set for ensuring transparent Government to the people, the BJP leader said.