80 lakh lifted above poverty line in 20 yrs of BJD rule: Naveen

(Surjit Dhal Bhubaneswar, Feb 24): Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday said during the 20 years of BJD rule in the state, 80 lakh people have been lifted above the poverty line.

He said that while Odisha used to face food scarcity, now it is exporting food. Farmers’ income has also doubled over the years.

“Odisha government’s disaster management preparedness and ensuring zero loss of life during cyclones has also been appreciated by the United Nations,” he said while responding to senior journalist Prabhu Chawla’s question at a book release function.

The Chief Minister released a book titled “JUGGERNAUT – Odisha On the Move”, authored by Ravishankar, consulting editor of The New Indian Express.