Centre neglected backward areas of Odisha: Patnaik

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday held a public meeting in Nabarangpur and attacked the Centre over alleged negligence of backward areas of the state, even as Congress activists tried to disrupt his rally, demanding jobs for local youths.

Patnaik's meeting comes a day ahead of Congress president Rahul Gandhi's visit to adjacent Kalahandi district.

The Congress president is set to address a public meeting on Wednesday at Bhawanipatna, the district headquarters of Kalahandi.

Over 100 activists of the grand old party were detained by the police Tuesday as they tried to enter the rally venue, seeking jobs for local youths, police said.

Kalahandi-Bolangir-Koraput (KBK) region, spread across southern and western regions of Odisha, is among the most backward areas in the country.

The CM inaugurated several development projects in Koraput and Nabarangpur districts and tom-tomed his government's achievements in the less-developed areas.

Attacking the BJP-led NDA government, the CM said the KBK region has been "neglected by the Centre".

"We will not allow the derailment of development works in the KBK region. The state government has launched Biju KBK Yojana for providing basic facilities to the people of the region," he said during his address at Nabarangpur.

Patnaik also asserted that his government has been working for the poor, empowering women and taking every measure to strengthen the farmers of the state.

"The small, marginal, landless farmers and agricultural labourers are entitled to get benefits of Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) scheme."