Odisha saw growth in all development indicators. Poverty has come down from 63.8 percent of the population in 2006 to 11.07 per cent now. Naveen’s governance record enviable.
When Naveen Patnaik took over reins as Odisha Chief Minister in 2000, all odds were against him succeeding. But in his 24 years tenure before his defeat to the BJP in the 2024 general elections, Patnaik has built an enviable governance record during his tenure.
According to official statistics, poverty has come down from 63.8 percent of the population in 2006 to 11.07 per cent now. The State Government claims that their schemes have pulled 6.2 million people out of poverty in the past five years alone, according to a report by India Today.
Rice Production increased 50 fold
Rice production has recorded over a 50-fold increase from 0.1 million tonnes in 2004 to 5.4 MT in 2023, making Odisha not only sufficient in food grains but also in a position to sell to others. The Odisha Government focused on mega lift irrigation projects and the irrigation potential increased from 6.2 million acres in 2000-01 to 12.2 million acre in 2023-24.
Besides, from opening 315 Odisha Adarsha Vidyalayas that would impart education in the English medium, more than 8,500 schools were upgraded, with digital blackboards in high schools, improved classroom infrastructure and libraries, and toilets across government schools. 10 new medical colleges have also come up.
Odisha’s per capita income tripled
Odisha’s per capita income has tripled since 2012. It now stands at Rs 1.6 lakh per annum, higher than in other backward States such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and Jharkhand. GDP growth, too, was an impressive 7.8 per cent IN 2023, higher than the national average of 7 per cent. In terms of fiscal management, Odisha’s debt to GDP ratio is 13.1 per cent, the lowest in the country, with a revenue surplus of Rs 43,471 crore and zero market borrowing .
Much of the increase has come from the change in policy in 2019 to not only receive royalties but also auction its mineral wealth that has seen revenues grow five-fold and fund Naveen’s vast welfare programmes , said the report.
Odisha becomes a sports hub
Besides, Patnaik made Odisha a sports hub of the country, particularly for hockey and training.. The State now boasts of two world-class hockey stadiums in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela, which have come up in the past decade; Odisha has also hosted the Hockey World Cup twice in the past five years. Bhubaneswar’s Kalinga Stadium has been transformed into a national sports training center of repute with state-of-the-art equipment, including advanced computers and software to improve sportspersons’ performance.