The political atmosphere in Odisha heated up with V.K. Pandian, the close aide to chief minister Naveen Patnaik, targeting Union education and skill development and entrepreneurship minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday and questioning his contribution to his home district, Angul.

Pandian, a 2000 batch IAS officer who quit his job in October and joined the Biju Janata Dal a month later, now enjoys the status of a cabinet minister holding the post of chairman Nabin Odisha (a government welfare scheme) and 5 T (transformational initiatives).

Addressing a public meeting at Badasantri in Angul district, the home turf of the Union minister, Pandian raised concern about the lack of development in the region despite Pradhan’s influential position in the central government. “Nearly 100 people die in accidents on the national highway connecting Angul, Sambalpur and Cuttack? Why has the repair of the national highway connecting Sambalpur, Angul, and Cuttack not been taken up?,” asked Pandian.

Dharmendra Pradhan. File photo

Sharpening his attack on Pradhan, who is considered the face of the BJP in the state, Pandian said: “It is Pradhan who always says he is pained to see the people of the area migrating in search of jobs. Despite being the minister of skill development, why did not he take the initiative to set up a single centre for the upgrade of skills in the region covering Angul, Deogarh and Sambalpur districts?”

He stressed that skill upgrade training could provide employment opportunities and prevent migration. “The area is full of industries like MCL, NTPC and Nalco. If the people were trained, they would have got good jobs here...,” Pandian said.