SAMBALPUR: Hooch related deaths are reported every year and only when the toll is high that the issue raises a hue and cry, said senior BJD leader and Rajya Sabha member Pyarimohan Mohapatra.Addressing mediapersons on Friday before launching his final leg of campaign, Pyari said, “I held the post of Excise Secretary for four years and am aware how mahul traders, mostly from western Odisha, manipulated their way in the Congress regime under JB Patnaik”. He, however, admitted that the recent deaths due to hooch tragedy would affect the prospects of BJD marginally. Explaining that AU Singhdeo’s resignation did not indict the State Government, he admitted that the Department had failed in its responsibility which resulted in the deaths. He was quick to add that some officers were involved in it and managed to shift the onus. The Rajya Sabha member did not see any reason why the Health Minister Prasanna Acharya should resign. Refusing to speak on the State’s stand on the controversial Sindol Hydro Power Project, he said he persuaded the Chief Minister to drop the project.Getting back to his pet subject of royalty, Pyari accused the mining industry of holding the State to ransom. He said currently the plan size was `15,000 crore and if they get their due royalty, it can go upto `60,000 crore which will ensure pucca houses, employment to youngsters and a decent living as envisaged by Biju Babu. He accused the past Congress government at the Centre of lifting mining from State list to Concurrent list taking advantage of Congress government in majority of the states then. On shifting on WODC headquarter to western Odisha, he said the Government was ready, provided the people decide on thelocation. Though meetings over the issue have been convened, unanimity over the location could not be reached at. Termed the issue of High Court bench as a political conspiracy Pyari said he would speak on the matter after the panchayat polls.Cong Benefitting from BJD’s InfightingThe Leader attributed the presence of Congress in Western Odisha to the tug of war among the BJD leadership in the region. In their bid to take control of the party, the locals leaders are hampering the growth and prospects of the BJD which was not the scene in Coastal Odisha. Forecasting more than 450 ZP seats for the BJD compared to 354 in the last Panchayat Polls, Pyari said he was heading for Jharsuguda, where money and muscle power was being used in the polls. In an indirect reference to Jharsuguda Congress MLA Naba Kishore Das, Pyari said he had launched his campaigning from Jharsuguda and will end it there.
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