Naveen Patnaik

I am happy to announce that to provide remunerative price to millets-growing farmers and to improve the nutritional security, state government will procure millets and utilize them in government schemes.

During the launch of the 'Ama Gaon, Ama Bikash' scheme, I directly spoke to women representatives from the interior villages of Sambalpur and Narayanpatna. From the way the women explained the issues pertaining to their villages and their collective needs, I understood that women empowerment has reached even the grassroots of the democratic setup.

Empowerment of women is the empowerment of the nation. No household, no society, no state, no country has ever moved forward without empowering its women.

If India is to lead the world, if India is to be an advanced nation like America and China, then women empowerment is the only answer.

The women of Odisha will lead the way in women empowerment in India.

Where is special category status? Where is women's reservation bill? Where is the farmers' insurance? Why did Odisha not receive any cooperation and help from the Centre?

Vajpayeeji's time was a time of mutual respect and understanding, irrespective of how small or big a party you are. In fact, Vajpayeeji's handling of a coalition is something of a benchmark in world politics.

In the past, due to faulty economic policies like freight equalisation, resource-rich states like Odisha have suffered from the discriminatory policies of the Centre.

We prefer to be isolated in Odisha. That is a policy of equidistance, and going it alone has served us well in the past.

The aim of my government is to set up an industrial park at Dhamra. It will bring more investments to the state.

My main aim is poverty reduction in the state.

I don't have a problem with the Centre sanctioning funds to any state. However, when this is done for narrow political considerations, it damages the federal fabric mandated by the Constitution.