Odisha Minister Dama Rout calls himself ‘inefficient’

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Mar 20:

Odisha Cooperation Minister Damodar Rout today dubbed himself as an inefficient and helpless Minister in the government on account of his failure to revive defunct sugar mills and cold storages in the state.

“They (meaning opposition) are saying I have failed in reviving sugar mills. Then how come I am an efficient Minister? You call me an efficient Minister and at the same time tell that I am unable to run the mills. The statement is self-contradictory and not correct. So I am inefficient. The government formed cooperative societies and handed over the mills, they are not supposed to pay back to the government. But they are repeatedly making these mills defunct. The matter is sub-judice in the High Court. What can be done? But still, I seek your (meaning opposition) cooperation and will try to make them operational,” said Rout speaking to reporters outside the House after replying to an adjournment debate on the closure of sugar mills causing frustration among farmers in the state Assembly today.

In his reply in the House Rout had said that though he had several ideas to help farmers it was the bureaucracy which was not cooperating with him but was rather putting hurdles on his way.

He told the House that three out of the five sugar mills in the state were closed due to varying reasons.