'Puri is the only Jagannath Dham... no one, not even any neta, can replicate that faith'
Nearly a year after creating history and becoming the 1st BJP CM of Odisha, Mohan Charan Majhi spoke to Manash Pratim Gohain and Dipak Dash on the twin challenge of meeting high public expectations & redefining state's development narrative.
Excerpts:
Did you expect to be Odisha's first BJP CM? Did you feel the pressure of stepping into a space dominated by Naveen Patnaik for over two decades?
I didn't expect or think I'd become CM. Honestly, I just hoped to be a good minister. I've always worked with intention of serving people, with nationalism in my heart. I have been elected four times as an MLA. As party's chief whip, I consistently raised people's issues and questioned the Patnaik govt's policies. Perhaps that consistent public service brought me here.
There was no real challenge when I took over.
If you have willpower and a strong leader like PM Modi backing you, anything is possible. Yes, people only knew Naveen babu as CM for over 20 years. But governance isn't about occupying a chair. Biju babu, his father (a big leader), had to wait for 27 years to become CM for the second time. Winning repeatedly does not equal meaningful leadership. He (Naveen) didn't speak Odia, didn't meet MLAs or MPs, and didn't visit the CM grievance cell for 16 years.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Click Here - This Might Save You From Losing Money
Expertinspector
Click Here
Undo
I go there every week. I meet people at 3 am if needed. That's the kind of accessible governance people want - not isolation and silence.
How has your first year in government been?
We've fulfilled 11 major promises out of our '21' programmes in the manifesto. We launched the Subhadra Yojana on Sept 17, 2024, in the presence of PM Narendra Modi. We gave Rs 10,000 each to 25 lakh women that day. We have exceeded our five-year target of 1 crore beneficiaries in just a few months.
We also launched CM-Kisan - adding Rs 4,000 to the Rs 6,000 given under the scheme. We provided Rs 800 as input assistance per quintal of paddy, raising the effective MSP to Rs 3,100.
But it is said the BJD govt left state finances in good shape.
If they had the money, why didn't they use it for the people? Why did they not give money to women and farmers? The credit goes to Modi ji, who amended the MMDR Act - turning lease-based mining into auctions with premiums. That's why Odisha is earning more today.
There have been sensitive issues with neighbouring states, including Jagannath Dham in Digha. How are you addressing them?
n Puri is the abode of Lord Jagannath and is the only Jagannath Dham. It is one of the Char Dhams, established since the time of Adi Shankaracharya. No one, including any political leader, can replicate or shift that faith.
What's your vision for Odisha by end of your term in 2029?
By 2029, Odisha will be among the top five industrialised states.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Print
25 minutes ago
- The Print
Beef being ‘weaponised' against Hindus; Assamese people must take ‘non-compromising stance': CM
Addressing a press conference at the BJP state office here, Sarma said, 'Earlier, if a couple of Muslim families lived in a Hindu neighbourhood, they would be careful not to create any problems for the Hindus. If they wanted to have beef, they would go to their people living in Muslim-majority areas.' 'But now, it has become such that they will throw away the leftovers and waste around so that the Hindus in the neighbourhood have to eventually leave that place,' he added. Stressing that Assamese people have to take a 'non-compromising' stance to push back illegal foreigners, he maintained that Assam was waging a struggle against forces which had 'sympathisers' across the globe. Guwahati, Jun 10 (PTI) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday alleged that beef is being 'weaponised' against Hindus in the state, citing instances of pieces of the meat being purportedly thrown in public places after the Eid celebration last week. He cited the instances of beef being purportedly left in various places after Eid last week, including in front of Cotton University here. 'Someone can have it at Eid, but it cannot be weaponised against other people,' Sarma asserted. He rued that no protests were held against the act and maintained that the number of voices opposing such incidents are coming down. 'Good Muslims oppose such acts. They do not post photos on Facebook holding beef,' he said, adding that he received just three phone calls from Muslim persons after these incidents to say that they do not approve of it. The chief minister expressed apprehension that if things move as it is now, 'in 20 years, beef will be thrown in front of Kamakhya temple'. While police have a role in curtailing such incidents, support of the people behind the force is necessary for it to take decisive steps, Sarma added. He asserted that the Assamese people have to take a 'non-compromising stance to protect ourselves' and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government was willing to lend all its help. 'Modi ji is saying push back (illegal foreigners), but Assamese people are questioning why push back is happening. Most criticism of the push back is coming from Assamese people… Modi ji alone cannot protect us,' he said. He claimed that all foreigners were sent away from Gujarat by Modi and not a single one went to the court, whereas in Assam, cases are filed daily against action on illegal migrants by Assamese petitioners and lawyers. Sarma said that Congress and its legislative party head Debabrata Saikia had opposed the push back of foreigners in the assembly on Monday, but no organisation has protested their stand or media criticised the party for it. He also cited Saikia quoting in the assembly that then PM Jawaharlal Nehru had opposed the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950, which empowers district commissioners to identify foreigners and remove them. 'This goes on to show that Nehru's pro-foreigner stance was from 1950 itself,' he said. 'Our struggle is against forces which have sympathisers everywhere in the world,' Sarma maintained. He said 2,895 Facebook accounts, originating from places like Islamabad, Dhaka and Riyadh are active which write or comment only on Palestine and Assam. 'We are a state surrounded by enemies… we have to do our research and hand over these details to Modi ji, so that he can take it further and enlist the help of agencies like Interpol,' Sarma said. He said that the 'interest' of Pakistan and Bangladesh in Assam was since the time of Independence as it was proposed to be included in erstwhile East Pakistan. 'It is nothing new. When there was friendly government in Bangladesh, anti-India sentiments had decreased, and when Younis came, these sentiments increased. In Pakistan, the anti-India sentiments were always there,' he maintained. 'If we take the initiative (to work against these forces), central government will help us,' he added. Mentioning of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), Sarma said that the state government, AASU and others are 'not satisfied' with it. He said the state government has approached the Supreme Court for re-verification of 20-10 per cent of the names in various categories, and though the apex court has not agreed to it yet, 'we believe the court will accept it'. He also cited an SC judgement which states that NRC and deportation of foreigners are not linked. Sarma said that the state government will use the 1950 Act for 'removing' foreigners from the state, with 35 identified illegal immigrants ready to be pushed back as soon as the flood situation improves. Admitting that sending them back will not completely solve the problem, he said that it will ensure that new immigrants will not try to enter. 'Arunachal Pradesh regularly sends back these people and hence, there have fear to go there. We also have to instill that fear,' he added. Sarma claimed that there was a section of lawyers trained by the Congress who helped ineligible people to get their names included in the NRC, though he did not take any names. He emphasised the need for lawyers to represent the 'people of the state' in the Supreme Court in cases on foreigners issue, maintaining that only the government advocates were not enough. 'Courts are for the people… if there are lawyers representing the interest of the people, the judiciary will have a better understanding of the people's problems,' he added. PTI SSG SSG ACD This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Time of India
32 minutes ago
- Time of India
IGNOU materials to be translated into Odia
Bhubaneswar: Higher education department on Monday signed an MoU with Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) to facilitate the translation of IGNOU's course materials for all academic programmes into Odia for the benefit of Odia-speaking learners. The aim of the agreement is to deliver IGNOU's UG, PG, and certificate programmes in the Odia language and to improve access to quality higher education for Odia-speaking learners, particularly from rural and marginalised communities, official sources said. According to the MoU, this understanding is to foster a collaborative framework between IGNOU and higher education department for content translation, academic support, outreach, and learner facilitation. The department may upload the translated management course material of IGNOU in different languages on their portal for free access by students and faculty members from different institutions in Odisha and outside. The copyright of the translated material will be as per IPR and relevant policies of IGNOU, said official sources. The university will provide access to original course materials and content. It will provide technical and academic guidance related to the translation process, review and approve the quality of translated materials to ensure academic rigour and accuracy, and facilitate the use of the translated materials within its existing academic framework as per IGNOU norms. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Good News: You May Be Richer Than You Think Undo The department will bear all expenses related to the translation, vetting, and final review of the course materials, including honorarium, editorial, administrative, and any other incidental costs. It will engage qualified translators, editors, and academic experts proficient in Odia and the subject areas concerned to ensure the accuracy and quality of the final translated materials. The department will coordinate with IGNOU for effective implementation and timely completion of the translation process. The govt will spend more than Rs 2 crore for this purpose. This MoU shall be effective from the date of signing and shall remain valid for five years. Higher education minister Suryabanshi Suraj said the Odisha govt is implementing the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in the state, which has the main objective of promoting vernacular languages. "For this, we are going to translate all courses that are available with IGNOU," he added.
The Hindu
32 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Delhi Cabinet approves ordinance to curb school fee hike
The Delhi cabinet led by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has approved an ordinance to regulate fees charged by schools, Education Minister Ashish Sood announced on Tuesday (June 10, 2025). Addressing a press conference, Mr. Sood said that in the eighth Cabinet meeting, the BJP government approved the ordinance based on the proposed Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025. "The ordinance will be sent for presidential assent through the Lt Governor. This is a day of happiness for parents whose children study in private schools. It will take the form of a law," Sood said.
