Naveen Patnaik Urges BJD MLAs to Corner Govt in Budget Session

Bhubaneswar, Feb 16 : Naveen Patnaik, president of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Leader of Opposition in the Odisha Legislative Assembly, on Monday called upon party MLAs to hold the state government accountable during the upcoming Budget Session.

Addressing a meeting of the BJD Legislature Party in Bhubaneswar, Patnaik urged members to adopt an aggressive and focused approach inside the House, alleging widespread governance failures by the ruling dispensation.

“As you know, the Budget Session starts tomorrow, and we must take it very seriously. We should use every parliamentary tool—questions, walkouts, and demonstrations on the floor—to ensure the Government answers for its failures,” he said.

Targeting what he termed the “double-engine Government,” Patnaik alleged that the administration has failed on multiple fronts except “false publicity.” He asked party legislators to safeguard the interests of farmers, women, students and protect the pride of Odisha.

Highlighting the plight of farmers, Patnaik said many cultivators are forced to spend freezing nights at mandis to guard their produce from dew and theft. He claimed that reports from various district units suggest mounting anger among farmers across the state.

The BJD supremo said he had written to the Chief Minister over several issues affecting farmers, including illegal deductions in mandis, restrictive subsidy ceilings, delayed payments and distress sales of crops.

Vowing to raise these concerns forcefully in the Assembly, Patnaik declared, “If the voice of the farmer is not heard in the mandis, it will roar in the Assembly.”

He also criticized what he described as low government expenditure and a deteriorating law and order situation, terming them signs of misgovernance.

Expressing concern over unresolved disputes related to the Mahanadi river, Patnaik accused the state government of inaction and said the issue would also be taken up during the session.

The Budget Session of the Odisha Assembly is scheduled to commence on Tuesday.