Exuding confidence in his return to power, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said people of Odisha were also looking forward to oust the “corrupt” Naveen Patnaik government.

In an unprecedented direct attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dubbed the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government as “inefficient” which has hindered the process of development in the state.

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Addressing two public meetings – at Talcher and Jharsuguda – the Prime Minister said he will be back in Talcher to inaugurate the Talcher Fertiliser plant, the foundation stone for which he laid today, after 36 months.

“The fertiliser plant at Talcher symbolises the failures of the previous governments who did not live up to the expectations of farmers and youth and it was shut down, revival packages were done only on pen and paper. The foundation stone for its revival shows our success and our intent to commission it in 36 months,” he said.

“People will repose faith on us as our policies (niti) and intent (niyat) is clean and clear unlike the previous governments,” he claimed.

The Prime Minister lambasted the Congress, without naming the party, as well as the Naveen Patnaik government.

“In the last four years the pace of development has been much more than all previous governments put together – be it in the road sector, opening of Jan Dhan accounts, the Mudra scheme loans, LPG connections or increase in number of medical colleges, health care such as the Ayushman scheme,” he said.

“A former prime minister had famously said only 15 paise of every rupee sent by the centre reaches the poor, but he never worked out ways to end the corruption. Today we have by way of direct cash transfer ensured cent percent benefit,” said the PM referring to Rajiv Gandhi’s famous remark.

“We accorded constitutional status to the OBC Commission and promulgated ordinance to protect our muslim women and girls from triple talaq,” he said adding, “Earlier governments were scared to even talk of the triple talaq issue fearing it will cost them votes.”

Turning the heat on the Naveen Patnaik government, the PM said that development has unfortunately bypassed Odisha because the state government is callous, inefficient and corrupt.

“I have had to wake this government up on various matters,” he said.

At his public meeting in Talcher, Modi criticised the state government for its failure in the health sector, high MMR and IMR in the state and Swachh Bharat campaign.

“The turnout here indicates that people have made up their minds for a change,” he remarked.

The PM wondered why CM Naveen Patnaik was refusing the join the Ayushman Bharat scheme.

He listed out the central schemes and the funds provided to Odisha before asking the crowd whether they were getting the benefits, to which an anticipated “no” resounded.

But the PM reserved his best for the Jharsuguda meeting, where he accused the state of corruption in all sectors.

“It is a ‘PC’ government,” said the PM, adding, “Unless bribe in terms of percentage of the project cost (PC) is given, beneficiaries do not get their entitled house, toilet or road.”

The PM said he had been informed of the innumerable scams in Odisha including the chara (sapling) scam, the polythene scam, etc.