Bhubaneswar/Baripada,October 21: After spewing venom against the ruling-BJD, a totally rejected former minister and senior leader Damodar Rout on Sunday trained his guns at the party president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik by calling him a ‘corrupt leader’ out of utter disappointment because lack of public response to him.
While addressing a public meeting organised by Mayurbhanj Milita Kriyanusthan Committee in Baripada, Dama Rout said that CM Naveen does not know the names of all his party’s MLAs and even he is not aware of the number of Tehsils in the State.
Be it the embankment issue or Subernarekha project, the CM has ditched people of Mayurbhanj several times in the past.
“Mayurbhanj is a tribal-dominated district but the CM has done nothing for the people of the district,” alleged Dr Damodar Rout.
The expelled BJD leader further said that corruption and sexual harassment charges were levelled against CM Naveen’s private secretary VK Pandian; and Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself directed to the Odisha chief secretary for a probe, but nothing has been done so far.
Besides, Dr Rout alleged a massive corruption to the tune of Rs 100 crore in the horticulture department.
He said, “During my stint as minister, I found irregularities of around Rs 100 crore in the horticulture department. Equipment, manures and other things were bought on pen and papers only.”
Responding to the allegations, Food Supplies minister Surya Narayan Patro said that people of Odisha will never believe in such allegations levelled by Dama whom people know as a habitual lair.
“Common people will never trust him (Dama) as his allegations lack any truth,” Patro added.
BJD spokesperson Sasmit Patra on the other hand stated, “Dama Rout has lost his mental stability and we wish him speedy recovery.”
Patra further said that former Kendrapara MP Baijayant Panda and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan are taking advantage of Dama Rout’s allegations and provoking him to achieve their personal agenda.
Prasanta Patnaik