Three days after launching its election campaign in Odisha, the Biju Janata Dal finally found the time to release its much awaited election manifesto today. Releasing his party’s election manifesto at the party headquarters here, BJD President Naveen Patnaik claimed that it would help realise the dreams of his father Biju Patnaik. Claiming that Odisha had turned out to be a revenue surplus state under his party’s regime, Patnaik said there had been a substantial reduction in poverty in the state.
Speaking in his customary broken Odia reading out of a prepared text, the chief minister announced that all kutcha houses in the state would be converted to pucca ones and all village roads turned to concrete roads if his party is voted to power again. He said SHGs will be provided with loans at one percent interest rate and all street vendors in the state will be registered.
Pattnaik tried to strike an emotional chord with the people of western Odisha and declared that his party, if voted to power again, will pressurize the Central government for inclusion of Koshali in the eighth schedule of the Constitution