100 Days of Mohan Majhi Govt

Bhubaneswar: The election results in Odisha on June 4, 2024, stunned the entire country. The 24-year-old BJD government led by Naveen Patnaik was overthrown by the people of Odisha and the BJP was given the reins of the State. But on June 12, nobody in his or her wildest dreams had thought that Mohan Charan Majhi would be elected the first BJP chief minister of Odisha.

Meanwhile, on September 19, the Majhi-led government completed 100 days. The government, which had come to power based on the narrative of Odia Ashmita (pride), is trudging along sluggishly. The government has fulfilled some of the assurances stated in the BJP’s election manifesto while others are supposedly on the pipeline.

Opening of all four doors of Shri Mandir

The BJP government as promised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other top BJP leaders opened all four doors of the Puri Shree Mandir, the next day after taking oath. Earlier, there was resentment among the devotees because of a huge rush at the temple due to the entry of devotees through one door. But now after the opening of the four doors the rush has increased manifold. People are still facing hardship in the darshan of the Holy Trinity. The crowd needs to be streamlined.

 

Opening of Ratna Bhandar, its repair and inventory of jewellery

The opening of Ratna Bhandar (treasure trove) had grabbed headlines in the national and regional media. A new committee was formed overnight and though the dates were changed; the Ratna Bhandar was opened after a gap of more than 38 years. The jewelleries and other valuables were shifted but the inventory of them is yet to be completed. A team of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has taken stock of the condition of the Ratna Bhandar for repair and the process is expected to begin soon.

MSP of Rs 3,100 to farmers

As promised in the manifesto, a minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 3,100 has been announced for the farmers. But it remains to be seen how the decision is implemented. The monsoons have been favourable and the State has received adequate rainfall and bumper crop production is expected. But if paddy procurement is not satisfactory it would create discontentment among the farmer.

Use of Odia as official language  

The State government has given priority to using Odia in official works. This is an example of Odia Ashmita. Earlier many governments have failed on this count. The non-cooperation of government officials is attributed to be the main reasons. In the recent Assembly session, many incorrect words were used. Some of the lower-level officials had used artificial intelligence (AI) to translate English write ups to Odia due to which the meaning of the words was not clear or they were wrong.

Subhadra Yojana  

 

The government claims that its flagship programme Subhadra Yojana is a big success. The BJP hopes that it would counter the Mission Shakti programme of the previous BJD government. According to the BJP’s  election manifesto, the women were supposed to get Rs 50,000 in two years. But now after implementation, the women would now get Rs 50,000 in five years – Rs 10,000 each year. So, the government has deviated from its promise. Besides, many women have not received the money after standing in serpentine queues for hours in inhospitable weather. It remains to be seen how the government is able to handle the dissatisfaction.   

 

Ending officer raj

Before coming to power in Odisha, the BJP had said that a coterie of select and corrupt officials was running the State and taking all the major decisions during the tenure of the BJD. It had also alleged they were clinging to their positions for years flouting all government rules and regulations. But though the BJP is power for the last 100 days those same tainted officers continue to enjoy their plum positions and are yet to be shunted out.

Rollback of 3 major decisions   

The State government announced the change of the Biju Patnaik Sports Award. But after backlash from the intelligentsia in the State, the name change decision was shelved. The chief minister said that he had no information regarding the decision and there would be no name change of the award.

The government announced that no new liquor shops would be opened in the State. Later, it took a decision to open liquor shacks along the beaches of the State to increase tourist footfalls, but after huge public resentment and the Puri Shankaracharya’s statement regarding the issue the government took a U-turn and said that no liquor shop would be permitted in the radius of 5 km of religious institutions.  

Opening of Orissa High Court Bench

The government announced in written in the State Assembly that there was no proposal for setting up a High Court Bench in western Odisha, which triggered shockwaves among the people of the region. But the very next day, the government did an about turn and the CM announced that the proposal was under consideration.

Name and colour change  

The opposition and some media platforms have started terming the Mohan Majhi government as a “colour change government”, particularly after its decision to change colour of the logo of OMFED and Laxmi bus service. On the other hand, the change of KAALIA scheme and Adarsh Vidyalaya has also sparked a debate. The proposal to change the name of Ravenshaw University has also triggered a huge row.

Law and order in State

 

The BJP government, which had come to power accusing the BJD of failing in maintaining law and order in Odisha, has so far not taken satisfactory steps itself to ensure a turnaround. The promise to end the mafia raj in the State is yet to be implemented. The law-and-order situation and the crimes against women might prove the Achilles’ Heel for Mohan Majhi. The alleged custodial torture of an Indian Army Major and his fiancée at the Bharat police station in Bhubaneswar has brought Odisha on the national focus for the wrong reasons.

Besides, The case of assault of a Puri Raj Bhavan employee allegedly by governor Raghubar Das’ son and others during the Rath Yatra still remains unsolved. The government has failed to avail justice to its employee though he had given written complaints to the police and other concerned authorities. The incident, which hogged national limelight, reflects poorly on the government’s Odia Ashmita posture.