Bhubaneswar, Sept 20 : The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has announced a massive protest scheduled for September 23, targeting the Odisha Legislative Assembly in response to what it describes as the systematic erosion and hijacking of powers from elected representatives in the state’s three-tier Panchayati Raj system. The protest is expected to see widespread participation from Sarpanchs, Ward Members, Panchayat Samiti Members, Zilla Parishad Members, Block Chairpersons, Zilla Parishad Chairpersons, village heads, and other grassroots representatives.
Addressing a press conference, the BJD alleged that the ruling BJP-led government has issued 28 circulars over the past 14 months aimed at curtailing the authority of Panchayati Raj institutions. These circulars, they claim, have been tailored to empower party loyalists and officials, turning the decentralized democratic structure into a system driven by bureaucrats and political workers. The BJD warned the government to immediately halt what it calls a conspiracy to “murder democracy” and replace people’s power with party-backed personnel.
The party further accused the state government of reducing the Panchayati Raj budget drastically, citing that funds under the PM Awas Yojana have been slashed from ₹4,310 crore to just ₹825 crore. Despite surveying over 37 lakh households, no substantial progress has been made under housing schemes. Moreover, they highlighted the inefficient launch of the Antyodaya Awas Yojana, where ₹24 crore was spent on publicity, but coordinators are yet to receive salaries, and wages under MGNREGA remain unpaid.
In what the BJD sees as a betrayal of former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s vision under the “Ama Odisha Nabin Odisha” initiative which had a budget of ₹4,200 crore the current administration has renamed schemes and cut allocations. Many projects remain incomplete or stagnant, with local leaders reportedly being asked to falsely declare that work has not yet started, even when partially executed.
The party also pointed to the weakening of elected representatives’ powers, stating that now Block Development Officers (BDOs) and not elected Chairpersons are the final authority to approve bills up to ₹10 lakh. Citing the Odisha Panchayat Samiti Act, the BJD emphasized that while the Chairperson is meant to be the executive authority, the government has effectively turned them into rubber stamps, with officials exercising real power. They claimed this top-down governance model has undermined democracy, transforming the system into one where bureaucrats and handpicked workers hold sway.
BJD leader Pramila Mallik alleged that the state is now run not by the Chief Minister or ministers, but by unelected individuals from areas like Botkara and Pankhia. She accused the government of undermining women’s representation in Panchayati Raj despite claims of empowering them through schemes like Subhadra Yojana. Mallik also highlighted that while over 700 of 854 Zilla Parishad members and a majority of Block Chairpersons and Panchayat Samiti members are BJD-supported, their authority has been stripped, transferring powers instead to District Collectors and ruling party MLAs.
BJD also voiced concern over the alleged misuse of EVMs in past elections and raised fears that similar tactics would be used in upcoming Panchayat elections to intimidate voters and suppress democratic outcomes. The party claimed that general public grievances are being ignored while power remains concentrated in the hands of a few handpicked party workers and officials, who are allegedly engaging in extortion and harassment under the guise of governance.
In a powerful call to action, BJD has invited all stakeholders of the Panchayati Raj system Mukhiyas, Gram Sabha leaders, and elected representatives to join the protest on September 23 in front of the Odisha Legislative Assembly. The party vowed not to remain silent spectators while democratic institutions are dismantled. They emphasized that this is not just a political issue, but a fight to protect grassroots democracy, people’s rights, and the spirit of decentralized governance envisioned by Biju Patnaik.
Through this agitation, the BJD aims to restore the dignity and authority of elected representatives and demand accountability from a system that, in their view, is increasingly bypassing the very people it claims to serve.
