BJD Calls for Transparency on Odisha's Investment MoUs Amid CM's UAE Visit

BJD Demands Clarity on Investment Agreements

Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has urged the Odisha government to release a comprehensive white paper outlining the status of all Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) signed since June 2024. This report should include details on the actual investments made and the number of jobs created by these initiatives.

This request follows the BJD's critique of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi's recent five-day trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), aimed at attracting investment to the state.

The party expressed concerns regarding the effectiveness of the CM's previous trip to Singapore, suggesting that the UAE visit might also end up being a mere publicity stunt without yielding real investment outcomes.

BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty highlighted that Majhi's inaugural foreign trip as Chief Minister was to Singapore from November 16 to 21, 2024, where a promotional event was held to present Odisha as a viable investment hub.

Mohanty claimed that despite the state government's assertions of meetings with various international firms during the Singapore visit, no formal MoUs were established. Nearly two years later, he argued that Odisha has not seen any significant benefits from that trip. In this context, the BJD is questioning whether the ongoing UAE visit, which commenced on September 8 and is being touted as the state's second international investment roadshow, will yield any substantial results.