21 years of Naveen Patnaik in Odisha, Report Card
Naveen Patnaik, who became the Chief Minister in 2000, has been successful in providing a stable and strong government to Odisha and taking it on the path of sustained progress. The most popular mass leader of Odisha, Naveen is adored by millions for his crystal clear image, corruption-free and transparent government for two decades.
Some of the major achievements of Odisha under the leadership of Naveen Patnaik in the last two decades can be summarized in the following broad categories.
Economic Growth: Under the leadership of Naveen Patnaik, Odisha’s economy is consistently growing at a higher rate compared to the national growth. During last seven years, the average growth rate of Odisha has remained about 8 percent compared to national average of about 6.9 percent.
Odisha on Global Tourism Map:Odisha tourism has flourished over the years due to the proactive measures taken by the State Government. The Chief Minister’s mega plan to transform Puri into a World Heritage City, EkamraKshetra Amenities and Monuments RevivalAction (EKAMRA) Plan, decongestion plan for Cuttack, development package for various religious institutions of different faiths have boosted the state tourism.
Transforming Healthcare: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s vision to provide Universal Healthcare is well reflected in the BSKY scheme that assures free health services to all the people from local health centers to Medical Colleges. Besides, over 70 lakh economically vulnerable families in the State are provided annual Health coverage of Rs.5 lakh per family and Rs.10 lakh for thewomen members of the family.
Secular Credentials in Helping MinorityInstitutions: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has announced financial aid to a number of important minority institutions and heritage sites. He has sanctioned Rs 16 crore for creation of amenities in minorities religious institutions.
Enumeration of Backward Castes:Reiterating his commitment to welfare of all people irrespective of caste and creed, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has taken a bold decision for Enumeration of Backward Castes. The unanimous passing of the resolution brought by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in the Odisha Assembly regarding social and educational enumeration of the Backward Classes in the state is a historic decision that is going to change the development paradigm in the state.
Transformation of Heritage Sites: One of the most important decisions taken by the Chief Minister is the transformation of the heritage sites in the state. Starting with the holiest place of the country – the Jagannath Temple, the state government has taken the initiative to develop the amenities at Lingaraja Temple and all other heritage sites. The government aims to transformation Puri as a world heritage site.and for this all efforts are being done. As part of its plan to make Puri a world heritage city, the government has announced a package of Rs 500 crore. In addition, huge infrastructure and beautification programmes have also been planned for the city. Multi-lane roads, flyover bridges, multi- level parking systems, amenities for devotees of Lord Jagannath, revival of the Musa River, rehabilitation of affected families in security zone, renovation of existing lakes and creation of a new lake and renovation of mutts have been included in the package. Also, various projects worth Rs 265 crore for Puri under the ABADHA scheme were also announced by the Chief Minister.
Communal Harmony, the Hallmark of Naveen Govt: Odisha is one of the few states in the country which have seen least number of communal tensions in the last few decades. Because of the secular credentials of the state, all communities live a peaceful life and brotherhood is benchmark. The hallmark of Naveen’s administration is taking all along in the development of the state.This has helped the state attract large industrial investments to the state.
COVID-19 Management: The spread of Coronavirus Pandemic has been a cause of concern for almost all countries of the world. India and its states are also not spared from this dangerous disease. But the way Odisha has managed the pandemic needs to be lauded. Odisha declared statewide lockdown before the central government announced. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik called on the citizens of the state to fight the virus collectively. He ensured that the administration is ready to fight the virus and activated the response mechanism immediately.
5T and Mo Sarkar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s 5T manta – Teamwork, Transparency, Technology and Time leading to Transformation coupled with “Mo Sarkar” has brought a new revolution in governance and administration empowering the common man. The innovative governance initiative has caught the imagination of all including policy makers and the general public. Mo Sarkar has already led a fundamental change in the mindset among the public servants while dealing with the people.
AmphanCyclone – Mission Zero Casualty Achieved: Odisha demonstrated its prowess in management of disasters during the Super Cyclone Amphanthat hit the eastern states of Odisha and West Bengalthis month. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’sdirections for zero casualty was successfully achieved. More than two lakh people were evacuated from low laying areas to safer places. About 45 lakh people were affected by the cyclone. Damage to property was also minimized with proper management of resources.