**Bhubaneswar: ** As NITI Aayog vice-chairman Rajiv Kumar paid an official visit to Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the State Secretariat here on Saturday to convince him for the State Government’s cooperation instead of boycotting the Aayog’s meetings, especially on the issue of all-round development of eight aspirational districts, the Chief Minister laid down the State’s outstanding demands before the Aayog.
As per a press note released by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), prominent among the demands are ‘Special Category Status to Odisha’, ‘Amendment in Coal Royalty’, ‘Re-Implementation of KBK Development, IAP and Backward Regions Grant Fund (BRGF).
Besides, the demands also include enhancement of Central Government’s share of 75% to 90% for the State Natural Calamity Fund as has been earlier assured by the Centre, in advance information of funds amount allocated in Central grant, non slashing of the announced grant, relaxation in the guidelines of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), especially in the 38 left wing extremism (LWE)-affected blocks of Odisha.
The charter of demands of Odisha also includes special attention to providing banking facility in 4376 Gram Panchayats (GPs) devoid of it and expansion of mobile network in 11,200 villages there besides broadband connectivity in those GPs, development of national highways (NHs) in the State, pacing up the railway projects, expanding the Amritsar-Kolkata Industrial Corridor to Vishakhapatnam and including Odisha in it.
The Chief Minister also stressed on enlisting more beneficiaries by amending the existing rules in the Central Government’s Pradhan Mantri Matru Bandana Yojana (PMMBY) implemented on the lines of Odisha Government’s Mamata Yojana.
Briefing on it, ruling BJD spokesperson Pratap Deb also told media, “All the revenue incomes in the country come under the purview of the NITI Aayog because the policy decision is taken in NITI Aayog basing on the revenue generation and sources of income. Odisha Government has placed before the NITI Aayog its demands because it would benefit our State financially. Thus, it will help progressing development agenda.”
“So far Special Category Status is concerned, NITI Aayog has stopped it since the Aayog’s inception. We’re stressing on special package. It’s obviously needed in a bid to boost up our State’s development indicator and take Odisha’s step further ahead,” Deb argued.