Cong MLA Naba Das joins BJD

BHUBANESWAR/JHARSUGUDA: In a severe jolt to the Congress, former working president of the party and Jharsuguda MLA Naba Kishore Das formally joined the ruling BJD at Jharsuguda on Thursday in the presence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

Eight local Congress leaders including the chairpersons of the Jharsuguda Zilla Parishad and five Panchayat Samitis also joined BJD along with Das making the party organisation rudderless in the area.  Soon after joining BJD, Das resigned from the membership of the Assembly. Das has sought time from Speaker Pradip Amat to meet him and hand over the resignation letter.
Addressing a public meeting at Amlipali ground in Jharsuguda, the Chief Minister hit out at the Centre for neglect of Odisha. 

“Despite inauguration of VSS Airport, there are no flight operations. Nothing has been done to revise coal royalty since 2015. Instead, we have only got pollution,” Naveen said and announced that the Centre’s negligence would not be tolerated anymore.

Das had resigned from the primary membership of the Congress and the post of working president of the party on January 16. In his resignation letter to president of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) Rahul Gandhi, Das said he resigned from the Congress as people of his constituency wanted him to do so for development of the area. “The people and voters of my area want that I should contest next 2019 election from BJD as they want our area should develop and I should join hands with Naveen Patnaik,” he said.

The former Jharsuguda MLA joined BJD a day ahead of the visit of Gandhi to Odisha on Friday. Gandhi is scheduled to address a rally and meet party functionaries at Bhubnaneswar during his day long visit.
Earlier, the Chief Minister laid foundation stones including that of the Cancer Care Hospital and dedicated various projects worth `618.66 crore during the visit. The Cancer Care Hospital will be built at an estimated cost of `145 crore. He also inaugurated six lift irrigation projects of Malda-III, K Kantapali-II for Jharsuguda Sadar and Lakhanpur blocks built at an estimated cost of ` 32 lakh and 2x5 MVA 33/11 KV grid stations worth `13 crore, meant for Durlaga and Arda.

The Chief Minister also launched several upcoming projects including four mega water supply projects for Jharsuguda Sadar, Kolabira, Kirmira and Laikera blocks to be built at an estimated cost of `388 crore. Besides, Naveen distributed digital empowerment incentive worth ` one crore among 3,489 women self-help groups (SHGs), social security benefits to 30 beneficiaries, assistance to 1,422 Nirman Shramik and land pattas to 1,002 landless.