Chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who completed two years in office on Friday, announced that Odisha would provide free education from kindergarten to postgraduate level in government schools and colleges.
He said financial constraints should not be a barrier to higher education and claimed Odisha would be the first state in the country to implement such a comprehensive free-education initiative. All students, particularly those from economically weaker sections, will benefit from the free and universal education system, Majhi said.
On the occasion of the completion of two years of the state’s first BJP government in office, Majhi addressed a media conference for nearly two hours and touched upon a wide range of issues. He highlighted his government’s initiatives, including convincing the Bengal government to drop the suffix “dham” from Digha Jagannath Temple, the untimely Rath Yatra organised by Iskcon, the Mahanadi water dispute with Chhattisgarh and the land dispute over Kotia in Koraput district with neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.
Describing his government as people-centric, Majhi said it had launched 121 welfare and developmental schemes in the past two years, including the comprehensive free-education plan and programmes benefiting economically weaker sections.
However, Majhi said his two biggest challenges in the coming days were creating job opportunities for youth and addressing the impact of natural disasters. “This is why we are working on industrial development in the state. The state has attracted more than ₹20 lakh crore in investment. We are working for a more inclusive and prosperous Odisha,” he said.
He also announced that under the food security scheme, an additional 5kg per person would be provided, taking the rice allocation to 10kg per person. He also spoke about women’s empowerment and the creation of “Lakhpati didis”.
On the issue of the alleged deterioration in law and order, Majhi challenged his critics to cite any case in which the culprits were not apprehended. He also said that fighting corruption would remain the cornerstone of his government.
The chief minister also told reporters that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would visit again on June 20 for a state-level event. “Prime Minister’s upcoming visit, after already attending seven times in 14 months, reflects his ongoing endorsement and support for Odisha’s progress,” Majhi said.
He also said the demand for a pension for journalists was under active consideration by the state government. However, he remained non-committal about expansion of his ministry and the filling of posts in various corporations. He also made a subtle criticism of the previous government, saying that despite being in power for 24 years, it failed to provide basic amenities to villages.
Calling the functioning of the chief minister’s grievance cell his biggest achievement, Majhi said people can now ask questions openly and participate more freely in public discourse. “Even journalists were debarred from entering the Lok Seva Bhavan (state secretariat). Now things have changed,” he said.
The Opposition BJD, however, said the BJP’s slogan of Nari Shakti Vandan had become a mockery. BJD Rajya Sabha MP Sulata Deo and former State Women’s Commission chairperson Minati Behera cited the alleged misconduct, assault and intimidation faced by Chameli Ojha, sarpanch of Tikhiri Panchayat under Mahakalpada Block in Kendrapara district. Ojha was allegedly detained by the police on Thursday.
She alleged that developmental works in her area were being affected as payments for completed projects were being withheld. She claimed that when she approached the block development officer (BDO) seeking clearance of pending bills, she was ill-treated, abused and manhandled by some supporters of local Mahakalapada MLA. She further alleged that she was mistreated by police while being dragged to the police station.
The BJD said the public humiliation of an elected woman representative was shameful and condemnable.
