‘The Students Will Decide Orissa’s 1000 Cr. Budget Expenditure, Says Ex-IAS & BJD Member V.K. Pandian | NewsX Exclusive

In an exclusive NewsX interview, featuring Bureaucrat turned politician Mr. V K Pandian talked about the political landscape of Orissa. And how chief minister’s Naveen Patnaik’s legacy is a challenge to BJP’s ambition in Orissa.

Mr. Pandian first starts off with explaining his journey of how he joined politics at the place. He recollects that how as a bureaucrat under CM Patnaik he had travelled most of the constituencies and found a natural connect with the people there.
Upon asking that what does he think of opposition tagging him as an outsider, He mentions of his district collector days where people would give utter love to him. He firms that his motherland, mother tongue everything roots to Orissa, and leaves it to people whether to think him of as an ‘outsider’ or not.

Ram Temple construction

On the Ram Temple construction, Pandian remarks that his govt. also worked on Lord Jagannath corridor in Orissa, but the BJD didn’t promote it as much the BJP advertised the Ram temple.

He further adds, that Naveen Patnaik’s philosophy is “not a single stone moves against Jagannath’s will”, so the creation of temples in Orissa, he doesn’t claim it as ‘state govt.s or the BJD’s work’, but BJD sees it at lord Jaganath’ wish.

Party’s manifesto

Remarking BJD’s promises of providing freebies to Orissa, He mentions ‘Health security’ and ‘education security’ initiatives.
In health security initiative, the BJD has provided 95% of people a smart card. that allows a male to claim upto 5 lacs treatment and a woman upto 10 lacs.
In Education security, the govt. has transformed most of the high schools, 75% of high schools would be under state govt.
In social security scheme, where the govt. provides differently abled, old-age and widow pension to increase per-capita of each individual living in the state.

How does the party plan to invest Rs. 1000 crore budget?

Pandian says, that Patnaik’s main aim with 1000 cr. would be to spend on youth.
He says that, in history it would be the first time that a CM will ask the youth to decide where the 1000 cr. rupees would be spent.
students will have access to the budget. and the students will be selected on the basis of merit or academics.