BHUBANESWAR : The BJD on Thursday launched its month-long Jana Samparka Padayatra from Suando, the birthplace of Utkalamani Pandit Gopabandhu Das, in Puri on his birth anniversary.
The campaign aims to strengthen the party's grassroots outreach and highlight the alleged failures of the BJP government in Odisha. The march began from Suando, where leaders garlanded the statue of Gopabhandu Das, before proceeding to the Satyabadi Gopinath temple at Sakhigopal. The Jana Samparka Padayatra was also held at Bhubaneswar and other areas in the state.
Addressing mediapersons, BJD vice-president Debi Prasad Mishra said the people of the state are fed up with the way the BJP government has failed to deliver good governance and fulfil its promises in the last 15 months. "The law and order situation in the state has deteriorated and women are not safe," Mishra said, adding that farmers are also on the streets because of fertiliser shortage.
Alleging that the BJP government has curtailed powers of the elected representatives at the panchayat level, Mishra said the unemployment problem is also on the rise.
Mishra said the programme will be conducted across all blocks and urban areas of the state in a vigorous and organised manner. "All grassroots-level office-bearers, elected representatives, active party members and locals will participate in this campaign. The padayatra is being managed by the respective local constituency leadership, while district presidents and state-level officials will supervise and monitor its progress," he added.