Bhubaneswar: Reacting to Union Minister VK Singh’s remark on the issue of special category status of Odisha, the youth wing of ruling BJD on Wednesday staged a protest march in Bhubaneswar and wrote a letter to the President of India, requesting him to intervene the matter.
The youth wing said the demand for the special category status to Odisha was raised in 1979 in the then National Development Council Meeting. The demand has been reiterated several times by the Odisha Govt but every time it has been turned down by the Centre, it pointed out.
Notably, the Union Minister on Tuesday made a controversial statement rejecting the longstanding demand for a special category status to Odisha.
The Minister pointed out that Odisha had failed to achieve the desired level of development for which the state government is answerable for the special category status to it. “The desired level of development has not been achieved in Odisha and the government, which has been ruling the state for the last 17 years, is answerable for this,” Singh said.
“Special category of Odisha is not necessary. The tag of special status has now become irrelevant under the changed situation as the states are now getting substantial financial assistance from the Centre for undertake developmental activities”, he added.
It is to be noted that BJP had promised to make efforts for conferment of special category status for Odisha in its 2014 general election manifesto.
Kalinga AI