Bhubaneswar, Aug 28: A major political controversy has erupted in Odisha following revelations about the Mission Shakti Dubai Exposure Tour during the previous BJD government, which reportedly cost the state exchequer over Rs 14 crore.

The tour, conducted between November 15, 2023, and April 1, 2024, involved 763 women from self-help groups (SHGs) and 49 government officials, including BJD leaders and workers.

According to RTI disclosures, Rs3.06 crore was spent on air travel alone, while Rs7.92 crore went toward five-star hotel accommodations, food, and other luxury expenses. Critics allege that the tour was organized just ahead of the 2024 elections, raising questions about whether public funds were misused for political gains.

Mission Shakti members like Bilasini Parida, SHG Secretary from Nilagiri block, and Durga Das, President of Sorara SHG Federation, have openly questioned the utility of the tour. “We visited Dubai, stayed in luxury hotels, but after returning, we couldn’t apply any of the exposure learnings to our local context,” said Parida. Das echoed similar concerns, citing lack of basic infrastructure and market access in her village.

The BJP has accused the BJD of violating the Model Code of Conduct by organizing the tour during the election period. BJP leader Lincoln Subudhi stated, “This was a misuse of taxpayer money. The Election Commission must investigate whether the tour was politically motivated.”

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The controversy has reignited debates over transparency and accountability in government-sponsored programs. While BJD leaders, including Pramila Mallik, have defended the initiative as a capacity-building exercise, critics argue that the timing and extravagance of the tour suggest otherwise.

With the RTI data now public, the BJP and BJD are locked in a war of words, and the issue is expected to dominate political discourse in the coming weeks.