Pained over Odisha chief secretary being instructed not to meet him, the Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said he has now sought an appointment with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik as he will not give up his effort to contribute to the “development” of the state.

“You and your party are free to insult me, but let that not come in the way of progress and development of the state for the future generations of Odisha” said Pradhan in a letter to the CM laced with sarcasm on the 19 year rule of the BJD and emotions to project his own efforts for development of the state.

Pradhan said he was aware of the 19 years of governance by the BJD in the state and its claim to have ensured progress, but he too was trying his bit as the squirrel (alluding to the contribution of a squirrel in bridge construction in mythological Ramayan).

I wanted to discuss the investment proposals and interest evinced by UAE and other GCC countries during my visit to the Gulf.

They were willing to come to the Make in Odisha Conclave. It was in this context that I had asked Odisha Chief Secretary Mr Aditya Prasad Padhi to meet me. But he expressed his helplessness saying he was not permitted to do so, said Pradhan in his letter to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

The letter circulated to the media here refers to investments in the food processing, sea food sector for which there is a huge demand in UAE and other GCC countries.

Odisha is ideally positioned to exploit the market and export to these countries said Pradhan.

Earlier last month, Pradhan had written on his visit to GCC countries and his presentation on Odisha as an investment destination, fish and sea food export centre to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

Like all of my previous letters, the CM did not respond to it last month, said Pradhan while informing that it was subsequent to this that he wanted chief secretary Padhi to discuss the proposals with him.

Seafood and food processing has immense potential in Odisha and there is great demand in GCC countries and UAE on whom India depends for fuel. The Prime Minister was keen that India should make inroads in the food processing sector to export to these nations.

India contributes barely 18 per cent to the imports in these countries and it needs to be jacked up. In fact they are dependent on imports and after meeting domestic requirements to even export the same to Africa and Europe, said Pradhan.