BJD’s Sasmit Patra demands “Special Focus State” Status for Odisha in Rajya Sabha

New Delhi: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra raised the need for according Special Focus State status to Odisha in the Rajya Sabha today despite the din in the House.

Speaking during the Zero Hour, Patra said that Odisha is progressing and developing under the leadership of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. The State has been facing natural disasters on a regular basis. Cyclones and floods hit Odisha regularly and adversely affect the economy of the State.

The Parliamentarian demanded that through this Special Focus State status the Government of India should change the financial sharing pattern of Government programmes between the Centre and the State for a period of three years from the date of incidence of a natural disaster on the State. The sharing pattern should change from the present 60:40 ratio to 90:10 ratio between the Centre and the State, he said.

Sasmit Patra informed that the Government programmes have a sharing pattern of 60:40 ratio in which 60% funds are provided by Centre and 40% is provided by State. If the State’s administrative costs for running such programmes is added, then the ratio comes to 50:50 between the Centre and the State. But when a natural disaster strikes Odisha, this sharing pattern should be changed to 90:10 with 90% by Centre and 10% by State for a period of three years in order to expedite the infrastructural development and rebuilding of the affected regions of the State.

The BJD MP further highlighted the issues of development in the KBK region of Odisha comprising of the undivided districts of Kalahandi, Bolangir and Koraput where there is a need for increasing the banking density, teledensity and internet connectivity. All of these regions also need additional support and assistance by the Centre.