Jajpur, May 28: With the election campaigns in full swing for the polls in the final phase June 1, the political atmosphere in Odisha is still heating up. Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has taken a dig at Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik during his campaign in Dharmasala, Tuesday.

Pradhan said that the Chief Minister brings people on rent to make them leaders, highlighting key issues like drinking water, lack of doctors and nurses in hospitals, lack of teachers in high schools as well as other job vacancies in Jajpur.

"Who brings outsiders on rent in politics," questions Pradhan, indicating senior Biju Janata Dal leader VK Pandian's addition by Patnaik in the party. "Naveen Patnaik has done so as he brought people from Tamil Nadu on rent to make them leaders."

The Union Minister also targeted Pandian and BJD organisational secretary and Jajpur MLA Pranab Prakash Das, aka Bobby. "The 'gumasta' has a slave, in Jajpur. That slave had conspired to sell the state's wealths through MV Black Rose, a cargo ship," said Pradhan.

Highlighting BJD's failure to fulfil basic needs of the people of Odisha, Pradhan said: "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has allotted Rs 10,000 crore for drinking water in the state. However, the state govt facilitates the Tamil contractors rather than the people, who are in need of drinking water.

"No teachers in schools, no doctors in hospitals. Despite all the issues, the slave and 'gumasta' can't stop praising the Chief Minister saying 'the CM does what he says'," explained Pradhan, who is competing for Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat against Das. "Dharmendra Pradhan is ready to get criticised for the interest of the people of Odisha," he added.

He also highlighted the vacancies in Jajpur. "140 out of 320 posts are vacant in Jajpur. Doctors' posts are vacant in 40 per cent of hospitals. The district has been allotted 806 posts for nurses, but there are 453 vacancies, that's 56 per cent," pointed out Pradhan.

"The slave takes the district as his property. 14 Panchayats don't have high schools. 50 per cent of children are giving a miss to matriculation exam in Odisha. 25 per cent children in the district are short in height, while 20 per cent children are short in weight and height," stated the Union Minister, raising Nagada issue. "The youths here couldn't even get a job in Jajpur," he asserted.

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