Closed power looms a issue Odisha rural polls

KENDRAPADA: The closed doors of two spinning mills at Tirtol and Rahama in Jagatsinghpur district have assumed political significance in the lead up to the February rural polls.
The Congress and BJP in Talapada, Pailo, Pandua, Gorada, Garei, Tirtol and Rahama have been raising the issue of closed mills with increasing frequency during election campaigns.
"The BJD has decided to cash in on their rural development and one rupee rice schemes to rake in as many votes as possible.However, both the Congress and BJP's election campaigns in Tirtola and Rahama involved slamming the ruling party for not reopening the Sarala Spinning Mill at Tirtol and the Parbati Weavers' Cooperative Society Power Loom at Rahama," said Anirudha Samal, a resident of Rahama. The Sarala mill was closed after the 1999 super cyclone. The Rahama mill was locked by authorities after the same.