Discussion on President’s Address: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP Dr. Sasmit Patra, speaking in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday during the discussion on the President’s Address to Parliament, expressed deep disappointment with the speech, calling it “full of empty rhetoric and detached from reality.”
Dr. Patra, speaking on behalf of the BJD and party leader Shri Naveen Patnaik, criticized the Address for failing to address key issues affecting the people, particularly those in Odisha. He remarked that while the phrase “my government” appeared 55 times, terms like “my people” or “my states” were conspicuously absent, suggesting a government-centric rather than people-centric approach.
Highlighting pressing national concerns, Dr. Patra pointed out the Address’s failure to acknowledge rising inflation, high unemployment, and farmer distress. He accused the government of neglecting critical issues such as the doubling of farmers’ income, increasing Minimum Support Prices (MSP), and implementing the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations.
A major focus of Dr. Patra’s speech was Odisha’s long-standing demand for Special Category State status, a request consistently raised for nearly two decades by the BJD and the state’s 4.5 crore people. He expressed dismay that despite the President’s awareness of Odisha’s struggles, including recurring cyclones, the demand was not addressed in the Address.
The BJD MP also criticized the omission of other key concerns of Odisha, including the unresolved Polavaram and Mahanadi water disputes, the non-revision of coal royalty, the lack of Green Tax implementation, inadequate national highway and railway connectivity, and poor digital infrastructure. He further raised the issue of 139 communities awaiting inclusion in the ST list, as well as the demand for the inclusion of Ho, Mundari, Bhumij, Kui, and Saora languages in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution.
Additionally, Dr. Patra condemned the government’s silence on the demand for the complete withdrawal of 18% GST on Kendu Leaf, a crucial livelihood source for 10 lakh tribal women in Odisha. He emphasized that this issue has been consistently championed by Shri Naveen Patnaik.
Concluding his speech, Dr. Patra asserted that the President’s Address ignored the real concerns of the people, particularly Odisha’s legitimate demands. He described it as a government-focused narrative that overlooked the struggles of the common people, reaffirming the BJD’s strong sense of disappointment.
The speech underscored the party’s frustration with the government’s approach, as Dr. Patra reiterated the voices of Odisha’s 4.5 crore citizens whose issues remained unaddressed in the President’s Address.
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