Patnaik completes 20 years as CM, says still a long way to go to empower people

As he completed 20 years in office as Odisha chief minister on Thursday, BJP president Naveen Patnaik expressed gratitude to the people and said he has still a long way to go to empower the 4.5 crore citizens of the state.

Patnaik took oath as Odisha chief minister for the first time on March 5, 2000 (his father Biju Patnaik's birth anniversary).

A disinclined politician, the 73-year-old leader returned to power for the fifth consecutive term last year after leading the Biju Janata Dal to another emphatic electoral victory.

"I am grateful to people of Odisha for allowing me to serve them for 20 years. We have achieved a great deal, but we have still a long way to go to do more to empower four-and-a-half crore people of the state," Patnaik said in a video message.

Highlighting his government's performance, he said the state has moved from the days, in 1999, when a super cyclone killed 10,000 people.

The Patnaik government's effective handling of Cyclone Fani last year had won him praise from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the UN and other global organisations.

"The state has overcome all odds with the support and cooperation of the people and achieved progress. I am indebted to the people of Odisha for their uninterrupted support. We are now leading in many sectors, from Mission Shakti (a women empowerment programme) to Mo Sarkar (my government)," the chief minister said.

"These 20 years have changed Odisha," he said.

Recently in assembly, Patnaik said, "During the last 20 years of our governance, we promised what we could deliver and delivered what we promised. We are the only state which has doubled farmers' income. We have brought more than 8 million people out of poverty in the last decade."