Naveen gesture
NCC cadets take part in a tent pitching competition during a training camp in Rourkela. Picture by Uttam Kumar Pal
nArch-rivals BJD and BJP welcomed the NDA’s presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind in Bhubaneswar on Friday. However the BJD, despite its support for Kovind, sought to maintain a distance from the BJP and interacted with the NDA’s nominee separately at the conference hall in the Assembly. Nevertheless, when it came to the photo session, chief minister Naveen Patnaik held and raised the hand of not only Kovind, but also J.P. Nadda, Union minister and senior BJP leader who had accompanied the former. Though some BJD leaders might have frowned at this, it was widely seen as a gesture of courtesy that drew praise.
Predator mess
Forest and environment minister Bijayshree Routray is said to be unhappy with his officers, who are yet to catch the animal attacking sheep at Niali and in other areas of the state. Aware of the rising public anger against the authorities on the issue, he is learnt to have given the top mandarins of the department a piece of his mind, but they appear to be helpless. “We have stepped up our vigil at Niali and in other areas, where the attacks have taken place. We can catch the predator if it is sighted. When no one has seen it properly, how can we hope to trap it?” said a hassled forest officer on duty at Niali.
Too costly
Tomato prices have gone through the roof leaving consumers in a tight spot. They are fuming at the government’s alleged insensitivity with neither agriculture minister nor the food supplies and consumer welfare minister coming to their rescue. While agriculture minister Damodar Rout washed his hands off the price rise blaming it on lack of marketing facilities which, he said, did not fall within his department’s purview, food supplies minister Surya Narayan Patro has sought to downplay the issue describing tomato as a “non-essential commodity” and the price rise a nationwide phenomenon. “They don’t realise how it has affected the middle class with tomato prices soaring to Rs 80 a kilo from Rs 8 a kilo a month ago,” said a homemaker.
Open secret
Though now it is more than obvious that UPA presidential nominee Meira Kumar’s visit to Bhubaneswar to meet state Congress MLAs was cancelled because of the continuing tug of war between the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) and the Congress Legislature Party, some party leaders have sought to make light of it. Party chief whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati, who shares a strained relationship with OPCC president Prasad Harichandan, raised many eyebrows when he described Kumar’s visit as unnecessary because party MLAs were going to vote for her anyway. “It’s true that party legislators will vote for her but we all know what scuttled her visit,” said a senior Congress leader.
Lonely leader
Former minister Bimbadhar Kuanr, who had ended his old ties with the BJP to join the BJD three years ago, seems to be ploughing a lonely furrow in his adopted party.
If sources close to the leader are to be believed, the veteran from west Odisha, who had held many important positions during his time with the BJP, is hardly ever seen in programmes organised by the ruling party.
However, since he had quit the saffron outfit accusing its leadership of ignoring him, he will find it hard to make a comeback. “Besides there has to be some excuse for going back. At the moment he can’t think of anything,” said a sympathiser of the beleaguered leader.
FOOTNOTE
Back in the game
Criticism of his rather loose tongue notwithstanding, agriculture minister Damodar Rout continues to enjoy the confidence of chief minister Naveen Patnaik. In fact, he seems to be having a great run of luck. During Naveen’s last ministry rejig, he benefited the most by bagging the plum agriculture portfolio coveted by many colleagues. His importance within the ministry has also gone up with him being allotted the seat next to Naveen in the Assembly. “Critics had written him off. But he has proved all of them wrong,” said a BJD leader.
Ashutosh Mishra
