An onerous task in Odisha Premium

After the initial euphoria, Odisha’s BJP government confronts legacy problems

The Mohan Majhi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government ascended to power with the promise of transforming Odisha’s image, which has long been associated with poverty and backwardness. During the election campaign earlier this year, the party had accused former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of failing to uplift a large section of population living below the poverty line.

Some events in the State in recent months show that promises are easier made than implemented. In November, three women died after consuming gruel made of mango kernel, a traditional food preserved by tribal communities for times of food scarcity, in Kandhamal district. In the last month or so, four women have sold their newborns, unable to provide for them amid acute poverty. These are stark examples of why Odisha is often cited as an underdeveloped State and remind the new government of the challenges that lie ahead.

These incidents have been reported in the past too. In 2001, in Rayagada district, 24 tribal people had died after eating gruel made of mango kernel. In the 1980s, Odisha had grabbed international headlines when a woman in Kalahandi district sold her 14-year-old sister-in-law to buy food, signalling the State’s deep-rooted poverty.

Since the oath-taking ceremony on June 12, the new BJP government has fulfilled four major poll promises: initiating payment of ₹50,000 to every woman between the ages of 21 and 60, increasing the minimum support price for paddy to ₹3,100, opening all the four doors of the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri, and increasing the monthly pensions to the elderly and to the disabled to ₹3,000. This is largely because the new government enjoys the financial means to fulfil its promises. Over the past 24 years, Odisha’s financial health has undergone a remarkable transformation: the State has shifted from a revenue-deficit economy to a revenue-surplus one, driven by prudent fiscal management and substantial revenue from its rich mineral resources.

However, the deaths of the women and the sale of the babies caused embarrassment to the party. The BJP blamed the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), which was in power for 24 years, for alleged misgovernance. However, Opposition parties hit back at the BJP, arguing that its claims of being new to governing Odisha cannot absolve it of all responsibility. Mr. Patnaik stated that his government’s efforts of providing food to the tribal communities had been rendered futile, as the “BJP government had abruptly halted subsidised rice supplies for tribal communities”.

The BJP has also not been able to do much to tackle alleged corruption. During the election campaign, the saffron party had talked about deep-rooted corruption in the BJD government. In his recent statements during the winter session of the State Assembly, the Odisha Chief Minister slammed the previous government saying jobs were provided in lieu of bribes. Six months have passed since the party came to power, but the new government has not ordered an investigation into any of the corruption cases that the BJP had highlighted. On the contrary, two Indian Police Service officers who were accused of meddling in the Assembly elections on behalf of the BJD were swiftly reinstated. Political observers point out that this shows lack of decisiveness on part of the new government.

There has also been no significant shake-up in the bureaucracy, which would help the BJP move away from the governance model of the previous BJD government.