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Jena challenges Naveen to debate

BHUBANESWAR: Criticising the Biju Janata Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance government for its ‘failure’ on various fronts, senior Congress leader Srikant Jena has urged Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to come forward for a public debate on the performance of his government during the past nine years.

Countering Mr. Patnaik frequent charge that the United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre was neglecting Orissa, Mr. Jena said in his letter addressed to the Chief Minister that the question as to who was neglecting the State should be discussed at various places in the State.

Giving details of a series of measures that the UPA government had taken in favour of Orissa, Mr. Jena said the debate process should start from Hinjilicut, Chief Minister’s own constituency.

Highlighting the failure of the alliance government, Mr. Jena said the two parties had come to power with the promise to build a prosperous Orissa, but the nothing had changed for the better during its rule. While the State was poorest among all the States in the country, 60 per cent of its people were living below the poverty line, it had the lowest per capita income, highest infant mortality rate, and was also backward in terms of development in various fields, Mr. Jena pointed out.Moreover, the people of the State were carrying a debt burden of Rs. 40,000 crore, he added.

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Jena challenges Naveen to debate

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