Bhubaneswar: Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Odisha Assembly and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president, Naveen Patnaik, on Tuesday criticised the Governor’s address to the Budget Session, calling it “long on words but short on action.”
Speaking to reporters outside the assembly after Odisha Governor Dr. Hari Babu Kambhampati delivered his customary address, Patnaik said, “What you might say is short on work, alright—you understand that,” pointing to the media.
The LoP also raised concerns over law and order in the state, including incidents of mob lynching.
“I think you have heard me say time and again that the law and order situation under this government is in a deadly state. Nowhere else in the country do you get such reports of law and order failures and violence, except in Odisha,” he said.
The Budget Session of the Odisha Assembly commenced on Tuesday with Governor Kambhampati urging members to discharge their responsibilities with dedication and work together to ensure inclusive growth.
Kambhampati, who began his address with an invocation of ‘Jai Jagannath’, paid tribute to departed members of the House, including the late Murlidhar Chandrakant Bhandare, former Governor of Odisha, and Padma Shri awardee Kamala Pujari. Highlighting the state government’s vision, he said Odisha aims to become a ‘Viksit Odisha by 2036’, marking the centenary of the state’s formation.
