ONI Bureau: Bitter critics and his rivals may continue to dub him as a ‘Twitter Tiger’ and say he has done nothing except installing some overhead water tanks in his constituency. But, the same people while hailing the new Riverine Port project announced in Kendrapara, would find it difficult to ignore his contribution if they go by facts.
The Odisha Government on Saturday announced the much-awaited Riverine Port project on River Mahanadi in Kendrapara. While appreciating the decision and terming it as a victory of people of Odisha, Office of former MP Baijayant Panda released old news clippings that prove beyond doubt that Baijayant Panda pushed for it since 2014.
As per the newspaper clippings, Baijayant Panda met then Chief Secretary Jugal Kishore Mohapatra, Commerce & Transport Secretary G Mathivathanan and Central Planning Commission Board member Gajendra Haldia on February 26, 2014
to discuss about the Riverine Port project in PPP mode.
Baijayant Panda continued to pursue the matter and met incumbent Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi on February 19, 2016 in the presence of then Commerce & Transport Commissioner, Chief Engineer of Works Department and Inland Waterways Authority Director. Mr. Aditya Padhi had supported his proposals and assured Mr. Panda that those would be taken into consideration soon.
While welcoming the decision, Baijayant Panda said, “someone in State Govt told me that they waited until my resignation as Kendrapara Lok Sabha MP to sanction this project. I wish they’d told me earlier! If that’s what it took for Odisha to think of Kendrapada’s development, I’d have quit sooner”.