Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik demanded ‘Special Focus State’ status for Odisha at the 24th Eastern Zonal Council meeting held at the Lokseva Bhawan here today.
“Taking the frequency of natural disasters faced by Odisha into consideration, ‘vulnerability to natural calamity’ should be taken as a criterion to declare Odisha as a ‘Special Focus State’,” asserted Patnaik in his welcome address while thanking the Union government for its support during Cyclone Fani.
The Chief Minister lamented the tardy progress in important railway projects in Odisha despite the State providing 50% funds and land free of cost.
He added that the non-release of subsidy of paddy procurement was causing serious issues to farmers.
Citing that if a nation-wide analysis is done east zone would be at the bottom in the matter of teledensity, banking density and rail & road density and these subjects being in the Union List, the Odisha Chief Minister demanded to double allotments to the region so that these catch up to the national benchmarks.
Patnaik stated that the east zone contributes maximum to the mineral wealth of the country and in turn manufacturing and energy security of the country, the fruits of this wealth should boost the economic growth of this region and its people.
“Royalty on coal has not been revised from 2012. There is an urgent need to revise royalty on coal and also to share the proceeds of ‘Clean Energy Cess’ with the State government,” he pointed out at the meeting.
He sought the announcement of a special economic package for speeding up infrastructural development in the eastern region.
Patnaik reiterated the demand for the inclusion of Ho, Bhumij, and Mundari languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
“Our regions have some of the largest scheduled areas of the country. I reiterate my demand for inclusion of Ho, Bhumij and Mundari languages in the Eighth Schedule of Constitution,” he said.
Patnaik, who is the host of the 24th Eastern Zonal Council meeting was of the view that the prime objective of Zonal Councils is national integration and to create healthy inter-State and Centre-State relations.
He added that integration has to be financial, infrastructural, technological which leads to and strengthens emotional integration.
While Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired the 24th edition of the Eastern Zonal Council meeting, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Bannerjee, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, and Ministers from Jharkhand, Bihar, and West Bengal and senior officials of the participant States attended the meeting.
Worth mentioning, the previous edition of the meet was held in Kolkata, West Bengal.