Patnaik asks BJD MPs to become voice of 4.5 cr Odisha people in Parliament

Bhubaneswar, Jul 13 (PTI) BJD president Naveen Patnaik on Monday asked the party's Rajya Sabha MPs to act as a "strong and vibrant opposition" during the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament and become the voice of Odisha's 4.5 crore people. Addressing a meeting of the BJD Parliamentary Party, Patnaik asked the MPs to raise issues concerning the state's interests in Parliament, which is scheduled to begin its monsoon session on July 20. "Our president has set a clear mandate for our MPs and advised the team to act as a strong and vibrant opposition in Parliament and become the true voice of Odisha's 4.5 crore people," BJD MP Sasmit Patra told reporters after the meeting. He said Patnaik also directed the MPs to highlight issues affecting the state during the session. The BJD has no member in the Lok Sabha but has five MPs in the Rajya Sabha. BJD Parliamentary Party leader Manas Mangaraj said the party would raise several issues, including errors in school textbooks and the NEET paper leak. "The BJD MPs will raise several issues, including the errors in school textbooks, which are a shame for the state, and the NEET paper leak in Parliament," Mangaraj said. He said the party had also identified issues such as farmers' distress over paddy procurement, shortage of fertilisers, delay in payment of social security pensions to the elderly, persons with disabilities and other beneficiaries. This apart, Mangaraj said the issues like Mahanadi water dispute, injustice towards Odisha in the Polavaram project, non-revision of coal royalty for years together and worsening law and order situation, particularly women safety in the state. "We will also highlight the recent trend of mob violence in Odisha which was unheard in the state earlier," Mangaraj said. PTI AAM AAM MNB