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Chief Minister hits out at UPA Government

Special Correspondent

`Congress spreading misinformation about industrialisation'

BHUBANESWAR: Although the next Assembly elections in Orissa are due in the first quarter of 2009, the leaders of ruling Biju Janata Dal seem to have started preparing ground for a third consecutive win.

Despite the fact that the BJD was part of the National Democratic Alliance government in New Delhi for six years, crticising the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance at the Centre for its alleged neglect of Orissa in almost every field has become a habit with the leaders of the regional party.

Similar criticism of the UPA Government at the Centre and the Congress unit of the State was seen at the BJD headquarters on Saturday when party president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and others addressed a meeting of the presidents, vice-presidents and members of different Zilla Parishads belonging to the party.

Mr. Patnaik blamed the Centre for not carrying out a revision of the royalty on coal and other minerals. The State would earn much more if the UPA Government hiked the royalty on coal and iron ore, he observed.

The BJD chief also criticised the Congress, particularly its Orissa unit, for `spreading misinformation' about the ongoing industrialisation that the BJD-BJP Government was pursuing.

"It is unfortunate that several Congress leaders were yet to realise that the Centre also would earn revenue on any industry coming up in the State," Mr. Patnaik said. The proposed industries would create huge employment opportunities for the unemployed youth, he said.

The Chief Minister also called upon the party leaders to strengthen the party's base.

`Fair deal to tribals'

Expressing satisfaction over the improvement in the party's performance in several tribal-dominated districts in the recently held three-tier panchayat polls, Mr. Patnaik said the party would strive to ensure socio-economic development of the tribals who constituted about 25 per cent of State's population.

Mr. Patnaik, who spent most of the day's time at the party office, highlighted the welfare programmes that the alliance government had launched to benefit the poor across the State and said the pro-poor and pro-farmer initiatives will be accorded priority in the coming days.

A host of senior leaders of the party addressed the meeting. The party will hold another meeting on Sunday. The meeting will be attended by the party's block level leaders.

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