Biju trust not funded by party money, says Naveen

 Former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik connected Wednesday clarified that nary enactment funds of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) would beryllium diverted to the Biju Naveen Inspirational Foundation (BNIF), a nationalist charitable trust named aft his father, aft questions were raised astir its formation, leadership and purpose.

“I decided to unfastened a spot successful Biju Babu’s name, which was for the payment of the radical of Odisha… None of this wealth volition travel from the BJD enactment oregon immoderate enactment funds,” Mr. Patnaik said.  “As you know, Biju Babu, [his father] was known for his charitable activities… My brother, my sister and I donated our household home, Anand Bhavan successful Cuttack, to the radical of Odisha… I started the spot with a tiny sum of ₹1 lakh from my ain funds. This is for the payment of the radical of Odisha,” he said.

The BNIF proposes to enactment successful the fields of education, literacy, environment, forests, health, household welfare and poorness alleviation. The spot is headed by V. Karthikeya Pandian, a adjacent adjutant of Mr. Patnaik, as president. Satyabrata (Santupta) Mishra arsenic caput and Ashok Kumar Parija arsenic trustee. Its authoritative code is listed arsenic 3, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Road, New Delhi, which is besides Mr. Patnaik’s Delhi residence.

A enactment erupted aft erstwhile BJD person Shreemayee Mishra questioned the necessity of forming the trust, its operational jurisdiction, and the prime of leadership. In a societal media post, she said, “Was determination not adjacent a azygous suitable idiosyncratic you could find to transportation guardant the Biju-Naveen bequest successful Odisha?”

Her remarks were followed by disapproval from BJP MLA Santosh Khatua, who questioned wherefore the enactment of the spot had not been disclosed earlier to the radical of Odisha. With the contention gaining traction successful section media, Mr. Patnaik issued the clarification stressing that the spot was a idiosyncratic inaugural funded from his ain wealth and not linked to enactment resources.