Long road ahead for Majhi govt in Odisha

Rollout of flagship Subhadra scheme and other pre-poll promises marks the 100 days in office for BJP's first government in Odisha, but issues of women safety and protests by tribals cloud the celebrations, writes RAMANI RANJAN MOHAPATRA

- RAMANI RANJAN MOHAPATRA

Last week, as Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi addressed a gathering in Puri to highlight the achievements of his 100 days in office, including the rollout of the Subhadra scheme, there were allegations of police brutality against an Army officer and his woman friend in Bhubaneswar. Simultaneously, tribal protests broke out in far-off Malkanagiri and Rayagada districts.

The Crime Branch is investigating the Bhubaneswar incident. "The incident has overshadowed the rollout of the scheme and the government's claims of women's empowerment," said Rabi Das, a veteran journalist in the state.

Walking the talk
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was in Odisha last week, launched the scaled-down version of Subhadra Yojana worth ₹55,825 crore. The scheme promises to transfer ₹50,000 directly to the accounts of 10 million women aged between 21 and 60, in 10 instalments over five years.

"During the last 100 days, we have fulfilled many such promises. Our manifesto is a scripture for me," said Majhi, flanked by his council of ministers.

In its first week, the government fulfilled its key promises by opening all four gates of the 12th-century Shree Jagannatha Temple in Puri, initiating the audit of the Ratna Bhandara (temple treasure trove), and creating a ₹500 crore corpus for temple management.

The government also raised the minimum support price (MSP) for paddy to ₹3,100 per quintal, with a Budget allocation of ₹5,000 crore. The government plans to attract industrial investments of ₹2.5 trillion over the next five years.