BJD slams BJP over taking credit for temple project

Bhubaneswar: The Opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Monday accused the BJP government of “taking credit” for the work done by the regional party during its tenure for the development of Maa Samaleswari temple in Sambalpur.Senior BJD leader and former minister Rohit Pujari alleged that the BJP government was busy changing the “colours of the existing schemes and projects” during the last 120 days of its governance.

The ‘SAMALEI’ (Samaleswari Temple Area Management and Local Economic Initiative) Plan — a comprehensive redevelopment project to enhance the temple precinct of Maa Samaleswari, was completed during Naveen Patnaik government’s tenure, he claimed at a press conference. However, the BJP government has put up posters of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi in front of the temple, Pujari said.

Reacting to the BJD’s allegation, BJP leader Surath Biswal said governance is a continuous process, and the new dispensation takes forward the incomplete and other pending work of the previous regime. “The schemes and projects were launched for the people with public money. Has the previous BJD government made expenses from their own pocket?” he asked.