Bhubaneswar, Apr 1: A political debate of claim and counter-claim on Odisha's development during the 24 years of the BJD government has warmed up the Odisha Day celebrations.

While BJD supremo and former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik claimed that the 24 years of his government was a new age of Odisha's development, the BJP pooh-poohed the claim, putting several posers and suggesting Naveen to refrain from self-patting.

Patnaik was speaking at the Odisha Day celebrations organised by the BJD at Shankha Bhavan. While he claimed that 2000-2024 was the new era of Odisha's development with growth marked in all sectors, including agriculture, investment, infrastructure, economy, sports, education, health, and disaster management and poverty was reduced from 70% to 10%, Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan said Naveen should refrain from self-patting as people have seen backtracking of Odisha during the BJD government.

"Naveen Babu should stop patting his back. The people of Odisha have seen how many years the government has taken Odisha back," said the Law Minister. According to analysts, the Niti Aayog report is the latest evidence of how the state developed under Naveen's rule. "Odisha got the identity of a poor and backward state under Naveen's rule. Odisha ranks 22nd out of 28 states in the overall development goals," according to the NITI Aayog's SDG Index 2024.

Gender inequality was the most pathetic performance of Naveen's rule. Odisha is at the bottom of the list of 28 states with 39 points. Odisha ranks 27th in the country in terms of quality education. Odisha ranks second from the bottom in the country in terms of providing justice and peace. The state also ranks 24th in the Global Hunger Index with 45 points. Odisha ranks 22nd in the industrial infrastructure sector in the SDG Index.

"The Mohan Majhi government has got a weak and backward Odisha in terms of economic conditions. Taking Odisha out of this situation and running on the path of development is a big challenge for the BJP government," said an analyst.

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