BJD Slams BJP Govt Over Lack of Push for Odisha’s Special Status
Bhubaneswar: BJD on Saturday accused the BJP government in Odisha of not making any effort to fulfill its promise of granting special category status to the state in the 2014 poll and urged Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to clarify the long-standing issue.
Addressing a press conference here, BJD MP Sasmit Patra alleged that Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary had said in the Rajya Sabha on February 10 that the Center “has no proposals under consideration” for granting special category status to Odisha.
“We need clarification from the Prime Minister. The BJP had stated in its 2014 election manifesto that the party would work for special category status for Odisha if it comes to power. But the BJP government has not moved even an inch to fulfill its poll promise,” Patra said. he said.
He challenged the chief minister to seek approval from the state cabinet during this evening’s meeting so that the state can apply for special category status to the Centre.
Odisha’s special category status has been a long-standing demand.
“The issue was first raised in the National Development Council (NDC) in 1979. Later, the assembly passed several resolutions for special category status of Odisha as the state frequently faced natural disasters and hence needed special financial assistance to boost development. Resolutions to this effect were passed in the 10th and 11th assembly,” an official said. he said.
The previous BJD government had also launched a massive signature campaign in which nearly one crore people participated and this petition was submitted to the then President.
