Bhubaneswar, Sept. 4: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik today set the ball rolling for the panchayat polls next year.

At a meeting held to chalk out the future course of action, Naveen asked his party cadres if the district collectors were doing their job properly.

A BJD MLA said the incident of Daana Majhi, a tribal in Kalahandi who had to shoulder the body of his wife, could have been avoided had the district collector risen to the occasion.

Naveen wanted to know from his party colleagues specifically whether the collectors and superintendents of police were providing them the required support or not.

"We also told him that in many cases the officials failed to rise to the occasion which subsequently landed the government in trouble," said an MLA.

Sources said Naveen, who was upset following the unfortunate incidents, including the death of 13 children due to malnourishment at Nagada and killing of five tribals in Kandhamal apart from the Daana Majhi episode, asked his party colleagues to use all available resources to create awareness about the government's welfare schemes.

"The chief minister asked the party leaders to inform people in rural pockets about the government's schemes and ensure that they get the benefits," party chief whip Ananta Das said. Naveen also stressed close coordination among party leaders.

"Many new panchayats have come up because of the re-organisation across the state. We discussed how the party's organisational network can be strengthened in these areas," Das said.

On the other hand, the Congress today sprang a surprise by bringing in two tribal leaders, Shivaji Majhi and Nakula Nayak, into its fold.

Cong reinstates MLA

Ahead of the panchayat polls, Congress today brought back into the party fold former MLA Shivaji Majhi, who had been suspended for defying a whip during Rajya Sabha elections six years ago.

His abstention from the voting had ensured that the BJD candidate won the election. The party had suspended Majhi after an audiotape had surfaced on June 14, 2011, claiming that two ministers of the Naveen Patnaik ministry - Pushpendra Singhdeo and Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak - had negotiated with Majhi to refrain from voting in the polls. But the party revoked the suspension of Majhi on January 29, 2014. However, Majhi joined the BJP in 2015 after he was not given Congress tickets to contest the Assembly elections.

Citing the reason for joining the Congress, Majhi said: "I was frustrated with the activities of BJP and BJD."

Welcoming them to the party, state Congress president Prasad Harichandan said: "Their joining will strengthen the party. As the BJD is pursuing an anti-tribal and anti-Dalit policy, more tribal and dalit leaders are expressing their willingness to join the Congress."

"We are focusing on strengthening our network in the state. We have already held a series of meeting for this," said party's spokesperson, Sajjan Sharma.