NEW DELHI: Nearly a year after creating history and ascending to be the first BJP Chief Minister of Odisha , Mohan Charan Majhi speaks to Manash Pratim Gohain and Dipak Dash on the dual challenge of meeting high public expectations and redefining the state’s development narrative. (Excerpts)
When you took oath as Odisha’s first BJP Chief Minister, did you expect it? Also, did you feel the pressure of stepping into a space dominated by Naveen Patnaik for over two decades?
I didn’t expect or think I’d become CM. Honestly, I just hoped to be a good minister. I’ve always worked with the intention of serving the people, with nationalism in my heart. That’s why I’ve been elected repeatedly — four times as an MLA — whether our party formed the government or not. As an opposition leader too, I consistently raised people’s issues and questioned Naveen Patnaik’s government fearlessly. Perhaps that consistent public service brought me here. But I never imagined I’d be the CM.
There was no real challenge when I took over. If you have willpower and a strong leader like PM Narendra Modi backing you, anything is possible. Odisha has huge potential, and we are committed to making it a leading player to achieve Viksit Bharat by 2047. Regarding legacy — yes, people only knew Naveen Babu as CM for over 20 years. But governance isn't about occupying a chair. Biju Babu, his father, was CM twice. He had to wait 27 years to return, which tells you what the public thought. Winning repeatedly does not equal meaningful leadership. I leave it to you to find out and understand why he could win so many times. You must speak the people’s language, meet them, listen to them. He (Naveen) didn’t speak Odia, didn’t meet MLAs or MPs, and didn’t visit the CM grievance cell for 16 years. I go there every week. I meet people at 3 am if needed. That’s the kind of accessible governance people want — not isolation and silence.
How has your first year in government been, and what challenges have you faced?
Our government is about to complete one year — just 15 days left. We’ve already fulfilled 11 of the major promises out of our ‘Twenty-One’ programmes, which was originally planned for five years. Take Subhadra Yojana — we launched it on September 17, 2024, in the presence of PM Narendra Modi. We gave Rs 10,000 each to 25 lakh women that day. We aimed to cover 1 crore women over five years, and we’ve already exceeded it — over 1 crore women have received benefits. This helped us deliver on the PM’s vision of ‘Lakhpati Didi’ — Odisha is now No 1 in the country with over 16 lakh women earning more than Rs 1 lakh annually.
We also launched CM-Kisan — adding Rs 4,000 to the Rs 6,000 given under PM-Kisan. Plus, we provided Rs 800 as input assistance per quintal of paddy, raising the effective MSP to Rs 3,100. This benefited around 17 lakh farmers. The previous govt promised Rs 100 per quintal in 2015–16 but never delivered. We did it in year one. We even compensated farmers for unseasonal rain damage with Rs 292 crore across 16 districts.
But it's said that the BJD govt left state finances in good shape?
If they had the money, why didn’t they use it for the people? Why did not they gave money to women and farmers? The credit goes to Modi Ji, who amended the MMDR Act — turning lease-based mining into auctions with premiums. That’s why Odisha is earning more today.
Odisha is a mineral-rich state. But how do you plan to diversify the economy beyond mining?
We cannot over-depend on mining. We have been exporting iron, manganese, and bauxite for years — but without value addition. That has to change. We are now focusing on industrial hubs, value addition, and setting up manufacturing units in Odisha. Infrastructure has improved — an 8-lane highway from Keonjhar to Paradip, a triple-line railway corridor, new airports, and uninterrupted power and water supply. The ground is ready.
For agriculture, over 60% of our people are engaged in it, yet we mostly grow paddy. We are pushing for crop diversification — oilseeds, pulses, and cotton. Textile plants are planned in Kalahandi and Bolangir. We are also promoting maize-based food processing units and scaling up fisheries and animal husbandry.
In the recent Make in Odisha Conclave , we received Rs 17 lakh crore worth of proposals and signed MoUs worth Rs 13 lakh crore, which will generate 13 lakh jobs. PM Modi calls Odisha the "State of Opportunities" — and we are making that a reality.
There have been sensitive issues with neighbouring states — Mahanadi with Chhattisgarh, Polavaram with Andhra, Jagannath Dham in Digha, and even potatoes. How are you managing these?
On the Mahanadi issue, we now have a triple-engine govt — Centre, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh. We’ve started officer-level talks. Legal battles don’t solve everything — dialogue is the way forward.
As for the Jagannath Dham issue, let me be very clear — Puri is the original and only Jagannath Dham. It is one of the Char Dhams, established since the time of Adi Shankaracharya. No one — not even a political leader — can replicate or shift that faith. I’ve written to the West Bengal CM. She hasn’t responded, but people won’t accept any such imitation — whether it’s Digha or elsewhere. Mahaprabhu Jagannath is in Puri, and that is final.
On the potato issue, West Bengal has more cold stores — the previous Odisha government never focused on this. Many facilities were shut. We’re now formulating a cold storage policy, ensuring one cold store per subdivision, incentivising new ones and reviving old ones. No blackmail will be tolerated.
Regarding Polavaram, the case is in the Supreme Court, so I won’t comment much — except to say we will never compromise on Odisha’s interests.
Odisha has a large tribal population. What steps is your government taking for their welfare?
I myself belong to a tribal community, so I deeply understand their issues. Tribals constitute 23% of Odisha’s population; SCs are 16%. If Odisha must develop, their development is non-negotiable.
We are implementing the PM Janman Yojana, and another programme is being launched to boost infrastructure and income in 7,000 tribal villages. We are providing land rights under forest laws, expanding livelihood missions, and ensuring healthcare for tribal communities.
To prevent school dropouts, we’ve launched an innovative scheme — giving Rs 5,000 pocket allowance to every tribal student in Class 9 and 10. This ensures retention and participation in education.
There are several senior BJP leaders from Odisha at the Centre. How has their support shaped your initiatives?
The Prime Minister himself has identified Odisha as the "growth engine of Viksit Bharat 2047." Central ministers are visiting Odisha frequently, and national conferences are now being hosted here. From Rs 3,000 crore earlier, the central allocation to Odisha’s railways has gone up to Rs 57,000–Rs 60,000 crore. We’ve also created the Odisha Road Authority — a first in the country at the state level — aiming to upgrade 35,000 km of roads by 2029. We’re receiving strong support from the Centre, and the results are visible.
What is your vision for Odisha by the end of your term in 2029?
By 2029, Odisha will be among the top five industrialised states of India. We will have diversified our economy, empowered our women and farmers, and created a robust infrastructure backbone. Most importantly, we will build an inclusive Odisha — where tribals, farmers, women, youth, and entrepreneurs all find equal opportunities to grow. This is not just a political goal — it is our commitment to every citizen of Odisha.
When you took oath as Odisha’s first BJP Chief Minister, did you expect it? Also, did you feel the pressure of stepping into a space dominated by Naveen Patnaik for over two decades?
I didn’t expect or think I’d become CM. Honestly, I just hoped to be a good minister. I’ve always worked with the intention of serving the people, with nationalism in my heart. That’s why I’ve been elected repeatedly — four times as an MLA — whether our party formed the government or not. As an opposition leader too, I consistently raised people’s issues and questioned Naveen Patnaik’s government fearlessly. Perhaps that consistent public service brought me here. But I never imagined I’d be the CM.
There was no real challenge when I took over. If you have willpower and a strong leader like PM Narendra Modi backing you, anything is possible. Odisha has huge potential, and we are committed to making it a leading player to achieve Viksit Bharat by 2047. Regarding legacy — yes, people only knew Naveen Babu as CM for over 20 years. But governance isn't about occupying a chair. Biju Babu, his father, was CM twice. He had to wait 27 years to return, which tells you what the public thought. Winning repeatedly does not equal meaningful leadership. I leave it to you to find out and understand why he could win so many times. You must speak the people’s language, meet them, listen to them. He (Naveen) didn’t speak Odia, didn’t meet MLAs or MPs, and didn’t visit the CM grievance cell for 16 years. I go there every week. I meet people at 3 am if needed. That’s the kind of accessible governance people want — not isolation and silence.
How has your first year in government been, and what challenges have you faced?
Our government is about to complete one year — just 15 days left. We’ve already fulfilled 11 of the major promises out of our ‘Twenty-One’ programmes, which was originally planned for five years. Take Subhadra Yojana — we launched it on September 17, 2024, in the presence of PM Narendra Modi. We gave Rs 10,000 each to 25 lakh women that day. We aimed to cover 1 crore women over five years, and we’ve already exceeded it — over 1 crore women have received benefits. This helped us deliver on the PM’s vision of ‘Lakhpati Didi’ — Odisha is now No 1 in the country with over 16 lakh women earning more than Rs 1 lakh annually.
We also launched CM-Kisan — adding Rs 4,000 to the Rs 6,000 given under PM-Kisan. Plus, we provided Rs 800 as input assistance per quintal of paddy, raising the effective MSP to Rs 3,100. This benefited around 17 lakh farmers. The previous govt promised Rs 100 per quintal in 2015–16 but never delivered. We did it in year one. We even compensated farmers for unseasonal rain damage with Rs 292 crore across 16 districts.
But it's said that the BJD govt left state finances in good shape?
If they had the money, why didn’t they use it for the people? Why did not they gave money to women and farmers? The credit goes to Modi Ji, who amended the MMDR Act — turning lease-based mining into auctions with premiums. That’s why Odisha is earning more today.
Odisha is a mineral-rich state. But how do you plan to diversify the economy beyond mining?
We cannot over-depend on mining. We have been exporting iron, manganese, and bauxite for years — but without value addition. That has to change. We are now focusing on industrial hubs, value addition, and setting up manufacturing units in Odisha. Infrastructure has improved — an 8-lane highway from Keonjhar to Paradip, a triple-line railway corridor, new airports, and uninterrupted power and water supply. The ground is ready.
For agriculture, over 60% of our people are engaged in it, yet we mostly grow paddy. We are pushing for crop diversification — oilseeds, pulses, and cotton. Textile plants are planned in Kalahandi and Bolangir. We are also promoting maize-based food processing units and scaling up fisheries and animal husbandry.
In the recent Make in Odisha Conclave , we received Rs 17 lakh crore worth of proposals and signed MoUs worth Rs 13 lakh crore, which will generate 13 lakh jobs. PM Modi calls Odisha the "State of Opportunities" — and we are making that a reality.
There have been sensitive issues with neighbouring states — Mahanadi with Chhattisgarh, Polavaram with Andhra, Jagannath Dham in Digha, and even potatoes. How are you managing these?
On the Mahanadi issue, we now have a triple-engine govt — Centre, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh. We’ve started officer-level talks. Legal battles don’t solve everything — dialogue is the way forward.
As for the Jagannath Dham issue, let me be very clear — Puri is the original and only Jagannath Dham. It is one of the Char Dhams, established since the time of Adi Shankaracharya. No one — not even a political leader — can replicate or shift that faith. I’ve written to the West Bengal CM. She hasn’t responded, but people won’t accept any such imitation — whether it’s Digha or elsewhere. Mahaprabhu Jagannath is in Puri, and that is final.
On the potato issue, West Bengal has more cold stores — the previous Odisha government never focused on this. Many facilities were shut. We’re now formulating a cold storage policy, ensuring one cold store per subdivision, incentivising new ones and reviving old ones. No blackmail will be tolerated.
Regarding Polavaram, the case is in the Supreme Court, so I won’t comment much — except to say we will never compromise on Odisha’s interests.
Odisha has a large tribal population. What steps is your government taking for their welfare?
I myself belong to a tribal community, so I deeply understand their issues. Tribals constitute 23% of Odisha’s population; SCs are 16%. If Odisha must develop, their development is non-negotiable.
We are implementing the PM Janman Yojana, and another programme is being launched to boost infrastructure and income in 7,000 tribal villages. We are providing land rights under forest laws, expanding livelihood missions, and ensuring healthcare for tribal communities.
To prevent school dropouts, we’ve launched an innovative scheme — giving Rs 5,000 pocket allowance to every tribal student in Class 9 and 10. This ensures retention and participation in education.
There are several senior BJP leaders from Odisha at the Centre. How has their support shaped your initiatives?
The Prime Minister himself has identified Odisha as the "growth engine of Viksit Bharat 2047." Central ministers are visiting Odisha frequently, and national conferences are now being hosted here. From Rs 3,000 crore earlier, the central allocation to Odisha’s railways has gone up to Rs 57,000–Rs 60,000 crore. We’ve also created the Odisha Road Authority — a first in the country at the state level — aiming to upgrade 35,000 km of roads by 2029. We’re receiving strong support from the Centre, and the results are visible.
What is your vision for Odisha by the end of your term in 2029?
By 2029, Odisha will be among the top five industrialised states of India. We will have diversified our economy, empowered our women and farmers, and created a robust infrastructure backbone. Most importantly, we will build an inclusive Odisha — where tribals, farmers, women, youth, and entrepreneurs all find equal opportunities to grow. This is not just a political goal — it is our commitment to every citizen of Odisha.
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