Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) will launch a month-long ‘Jan Sampark Padayatra’ on October 2 to highlight what it describes as the failures of the state government. The campaign, coinciding with Lal Bahadur Shastri Jayanti, will continue till November 2.
The padayatra aims to sensitise people about the activities of the BJD and its president Naveen Patnaik. It will begin at the district level and be organised in every block, ward and panchayat across Odisha. All party functionaries, including senior leaders and workers, will participate actively. The party will also undertake various social activities during the exercise.
Party vice-president Debi Prasad Mishra said BJD president Naveen Patnaik will inaugurate the padayatra in Bhubaneswar on October 2. The programme will officially start from Ward No. 52 of the city.
The regional party has alleged that the BJP government is not paying adequate attention to the hopes and aspirations of the people. Basic problems of common people at the village and panchayat levels are being continuously ignored, it claimed. In protest, the BJD has decided to reach out directly to the people through the padayatra.
Senior leader Ashok Panda said there is a huge gap between the government’s promises and their implementation, which has caused deep dissatisfaction among the people. These alleged failures will form the main agenda of the campaign.
Bhubaneswar Mayor Sulochana Das said, “A lot of work was done earlier for the development of Bhubaneswar, but now the situation has changed. The condition of various roads has become deplorable. The standard of development that existed earlier has declined. Some people are now doing politics over the houses built during Naveen Babu’s government. We will take the real situation to the people through this walk.”
The party said the main objective of the padayatra is to take the real problems and grievances of the people of Odisha to every door.
