Amid row over trust, Naveen says it’s his personal initiative

Bhubaneswar: Amid a political row over the formation of a Delhi-based trust which has Naveen Patnaik’s close aide V K Pandian as president and Rajya Sabha MP Santrupt Misra as secretary, the former CM on Wednesday said it was his own initiative, taken for the welfare of the people of Odisha, before he underwent a critical neck surgery in Mumbai.The trust — Biju Naveen Inspirational Foundation — is named after Biju Patnaik and his son Naveen.In the run-up to Rajya Sabha polls, BJP had sought clarification from the BJD and Misra after a document went viral alleging his link to a trust and accusing him of concealing the information in his election affidavit. While Misra did not respond to the controversy, BJD had dismissed the document as fake.Speaking to reporters outside the assembly, Naveen said, “I was going for a very serious neck operation, so I decided to open a trust in Biju babu’s name for the benefit of the people of Odisha, and started it with a small sum of Rs 1 lakh from my own funds.

This is what I wished to do.”Naveen said Biju was known for his charitable work. “At the age of 30, he donated the Kalinga Unesco Prize in Paris for the popularisation of science, and he did other good work in his lifetime. As you know, my brother, my sister and I donated our family home in Cuttack, Anand Bhavan, to the people of Odisha for their use and interest,” Naveen said.He added that before his surgery in Mumbai, he had travelled to Delhi for consultations and met several senior lawyers and chartered accountants who specialise in trusts.

“They have expertise on these matters,” he said, adding that money for the trust won’t come from the BJD or any party fund.Reacting to Naveen’s statement, BJP MLA Santosh Khatua questioned the timing of the clarification. “The trust was formed on May 9, 2025. Why was this clarification not given earlier?” Khatua asked.He also sought clarity on the trust’s operational location and why it was registered in Delhi instead of Odisha.

“If the trust is for Odisha, why has it not been registered here? This has raised doubts among the people,” he added.Earlier, former BJD MLA Pravat Biswal, who has been expelled from the party, and former BJD leader Shreemayee Mishra had questioned the formation of the trust in Delhi with Pandian at its helm. Following Naveen’s clarification, Shreemayee asked why the creation of the trust had not been made public earlier. She also questioned why Pandian, Misra and former AG Ashok Parija were made life members of the trust.