Odisha govt to sell a year’s ‘successes’ with book release on May 21

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, May 16:

Taking a leaf out of the high-voltage campaign of the Modi government at the Centre to celebrate its one year in office, the BJD government in Odisha is all set to showcase its achievement in the last one year after coming back to power for the fourth time in a row through a booklet which would be distributed among the people free of cost.

While the BJP-led government has prepared an e-book showcasing its performance and will upload it on its portal on May 26, exactly a year after coming back to power, the BJD government is also going to release its book on the completion of its first year on May 21.

The Planning and Coordination department, entrusted with the task of preparing the book, has asked all departments to send their list of successes by May 17.

Sources said most of the departments have already sent their achievements during the past one year.

The Rural Development department, in its list of successes, has mentioned that it has supplied drinking water to 1,57,296 habitations through 4,02,500 tube wells and 10,047 pipe water projects. However, there is no mention of the time the department has taken to complete these projects.

The department has also mentioned that 287 villages have been conferred with Nirmal Gram Puraskar.

Though the department has mentioned that it has undertaken a mega piped water supply project of Rs 770 crore to supply drinking water to some of the fluoride-hit areas of Puri and Nuapada districts, it has not mentioned the status of the project and the timeline for its completion.

Sources in the department said the designing and the cover page of the book have been completed.

While the cover page has a ‘cute’ photo of chief minister Naveen Patnaik, it is planned to incorporate at least 100 photographs in the book.

Apart from the design and look of the book, much emphasis has been given to making the language more lucid and appealing for the people. Party supremo Naveen Patnaik has assigned the job to two ministers, sources in the party circles said.

As decided, the book, after its publication, would be sent to the district headquarters from where it would be sent to the blocks and panchayats.