Bhakta accuses BJD of misleading public

The Pioneer, May 31, 2012
The politics over establishment of a railway wagon factory took a new turn as Congress MP of Kalahandi Bhakta Charan Das on Tuesday hit back at the BJD leaders of the district saying they have misguided the media and the public on the issue.

Das told reporters here that the BJD leaders have released a fabricated document claimed to be signed by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to the Press where it was mentioned that Patnaik personally wanted establishment of the wagon factory at Narla in Kalahandi. It is a serious crime and they would have to pay a heavy price for this, he said.

Showing the documents of Chief Minister, Das said the district BJD leaders have themselves added two paragraphs in a page which is not true.

The BJD had earlier accused Das of politicising the rail wagon factory issue as his party was defeated in the last panchayat elections. They claimed that the Chief Minister had already identified the land at Narla and written a letter to the Central Government to consider establishment of wagon factories at Narla as well as at Sitalapalli in Ganjam district.

Das showed the video clips of discussions in Parliament regarding railway coach factory where Railways Minister Mukul Roy had pointed out that on March 22 that according to the Odisha Government’s view, the factory should be established in Ganjam instead of Kalahandi. But Roy at the same time said that if land is provided by the State Government in Kalahandi, then the factory would be established there as it was committed by the then Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Das showed reporters the proceedings of the Parliament discussion where he had protested against the Chief Minister’s apathy towards Kalahandi. “If the BJD is accusing me of politicising the issue, then the letter released by the BJD leaders to the Press should be investigated by the Crime Branch so that the truth would come out before the public,” he said.

Das also showed a video clip of BJD MP Mohan Jena where Jena clearly said in the Parliament that there is no land in Kalahandi, so the factory should be established at Kantabaji in Balangir district or in Ganjam district.

Das warned that if the Chief Minister does not allot land for the factory at Narla, a mass agitation would be launched in Kalahandi.