Naveen Patnaik accuses Odisha government of widespread mismanagement

Former Odisha Chief Minister and Biju Janata Dal supremo Naveen Patnaik has accused the Mohan Charan Majhi-led government of widespread mismanagement and inefficiency, alleging failures across several areas of administration. Speaking at the launch of the BJD’s month-long ‘Jan Sampark Padayatra’ in Bhubaneswar on October 2, Patnaik said the government had been unable to manage the Rath Yatra properly. He also alleged mismanagement in flood relief, paddy procurement, recruitment examinations and financial management.

“This government has failed in every task,” Patnaik said, according to the supplied report. In a post on X, he said people believed the Odisha BJP government had acquired “special expertise in mismanagement”. Patnaik further alleged that children did not have textbooks, elderly people were not receiving pensions and farmers and mothers were facing distress.

He also claimed there had been a deterioration in law and order, describing the situation as “failure everywhere and mismanagement everywhere”. The BJD leader also criticised the Centre and the Odisha government over mining-related rights. He alleged that the central government had taken away the rights of Odisha residents over mines, while the State government and Odisha’s 20 BJP MPs remained silent.

He said they were instead prepared to defend mine owners. Patnaik questioned the State’s financial position, saying revenue collection was declining while budget allocations were not being spent and work was not progressing. At the same time, he asked why the debt burden was increasing and where the money was going.

The BJD launched the annual public outreach programme on the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Patnaik said Odisha was passing through a difficult period and accused the government of being unwilling to accept responsibility for what he described as “thousands of mistakes”.