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Naveeen launches Vikas Samavesh

BERHAMPUR: With the ‘Vikas Samavesh’ rally of the Biju Janata Dal in Jeypore in Koraput district on Friday, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik began the pre-election damage control in tribal and dalit districts of south Orissa.

According to political observers the BJD chief was compelled to initiate this process to whitewash the stains of Kandhamal at least from the minds of voters in dalit and tribal-dominated KBK districts. It may be noted that Kandhamal is a tribal and dalit-dominated district adjoining KBK districts like Rayagada.

Mr Patnaik used his visit as a show of strength of his party in KBK region. Around 30,000 BJD activists had gathered in Jeypore from three KBK districts -- Koraput, Nowrangpur and Malkangiri. The BJD think-tank surely did realise the importance of women voters in tribal pockets as around half the crowd comprised women. The rally had to be held in the Bikram Dev Stadium in Jeypore.

The BJD chief seemed to be clarifying all issues related to tribals and dalits in the State during his address to the crowd before any other party could take up these issues. He elaborated the pro-tribal and dalit programmes of the BJD-BJP Government in the State since 2000.

His emphasis was on the State Government-initiated developmental projects like Biju KBK Yojana, housing project ‘Mo Kudia Yojana’, Madhu Babu Pension Yojana etc. He did not forget to use the electoral trump card of his government, provision of rice at Rs. 2 a kg to BPL families.

He said that during his regime 1000 residential schools for tribals had been opened and education qualification had been lowered to eighth class for entry into police services in naxal-prone tribal areas.

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