Bhubaneswar, Sep 6: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik arrived here on Tuesday from Delhi to a rousing reception by thousands of party workers and supporters for the lifetime achievement award conferred on him.
Thousands of party workers from different parts of the state arrived here to greet Patnaik for the Lifetime achievement award conferred on him at Delhi by the Capital Foundation on Sunday last.
The BJD organised a massive felicitation programme to welcome the Chief Minister on his return from Delhi on Tuesday.
Big cutouts, posters, and banners were put up on the road from Biju Patnaik International Airport to Naveen Niwas, the residence of Chief Minister and also on the streets of the capital city.
Party workers carrying party flags, posters and banners raised slogans all along the road to greet the Chief Minister.
Various cultural troupes arranged by the BJD performed dances and music to greet the Chief Minister who boarded a specially designed bus from airport to his residence.
The Chief Minister also made a brief speech from the bus and dedicated the award to 4.5 crores people of the state.
The Commissioner of Police has deployed 30 platoons of Police and around 100 of its officers to regulate traffic movement and maintain law and order during the reception.
Almost all major roads in the capital city were jammed and the commuters faced untold miseries in reaching their destination during the felicitation.
People travelling to Railway station and Airport faced a harrowing time and had to literally run to catch their train and plane as no means of transport was available to reach their destination.
The Commissioner of Police had earlier in an advisory said there would be a large gathering from 8 AM to 1PM at the Airport as people would gather to welcome the Chief Minister and asked the people travelling during the period to reach the Airport three hours before their scheduled time.
BJP MLA and leader of Opposition Jaynarayan Mishra described the award and the felicitation programme as a farce by the ruling BJD.
He alleged it is a procured award. The Chief Minister, Mishra said, buys such awards before election to gain political mileage but it will have no impact.
He said nobody knows the institution which awarded the Chief Minister.
Congress MLA Suresh Chandra Routray also described the felicitation of the Chief Minister by the party worker as nothing but a high drama by the party.
