Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday interacted with the people of Pipili and Delanga in Puri district through videoconferencing from the Lok Seva Bhawan here and announced projects worth Rs 68 crore for the area. The projects are related to roads, irrigation, a stadium, bridges, bus-stands, etc.
The Chief Minister’s announcement was politically significant in view of the upcoming by-election to the Pipili Assembly constituency following the recent death of incumbent BJD MLA Pradeep Maharathy. Patnaik said a Model School would be established by the State Government at Beraboi in Delanga, where Mahatma Gandhi had arrived in 1938. As part of the celebration of 100 years of Mahatma Gandhi’s first visit to Odisha in 1921, the memorial at Beraboi would be developed, he said. On the occasion, Patnaik also remembered former late Pipili MLA Pradeep Maharathy and said departed leader was associated with the development of the Pipili-Delanga area for more than 30 years. Coinciding with the Chief Minister’s virtual interactions with the area, two separate public meetings were organised in Pipili and Delanga where Ministers Samir Ranjan Dash and Tusharkanti Behera were present, respectively.
Candidates of the State’s three major parties, BJD, BJP and Congress, for the by-poll are yet to be nominated. As regards the BJD candidate, speculations are rife whether Pradeep Maharathy’s wife Prativa or their son Rudra Pratap would be selected.
