In an unexpected turn of events on Sunday (7th January), a boat carrying Union Minister Parshottam Rupala, accompanied by local party leaders and BJP’s national spokesperson Sambit Patra, found itself stuck in Chilika Lake in Odisha for approximately two hours. Initially presumed to be entangled in a fishing net, it was later clarified by the Union minister that the boat had merely lost its direction in the expansive blue lagoon.
The Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying was promptly rescued by the administration, who swiftly arranged another vessel to transport him to his intended destination. The incident occurred as Minister Rupala was navigating across the blue lagoon from Barkul in the Khurda district to Satapada in the Puri district. An official from the minister’s convoy revealed that the motorized boat encountered difficulties near the Nalabana bird sanctuary, resulting in a two-hour delay.
The minister and his accompanying leaders successfully boarded the replacement boat dispatched from Satapada, reaching their destination without further complications. Unfortunately, due to the unforeseen incident, Rupala had to cancel his scheduled appearance in the Puri district near the Krushnaprasad area. It wasn’t until around 10:30 p.m. that Rupala finally arrived in Puri, as confirmed by an official.
Presently in Odisha as part of the eleventh phase of the “Sagar Parikrama” program, Minister Rupala is engaging with local fishermen. The program was launched earlier in the day at Ganjam district’s Gopalpur harbor. Additionally, Minister Rupala and Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal are set to lay the groundwork for a project to renovate and modernize the Paradip fishing harbor on Monday.
