BHUBANESWAR: As usual, Centre bashing dominated the BJD legislature party meeting here on Thursday. The Union Cabinet’s approval of a special package to West Bengal and its earlier decision to consider special category status for Bihar provided the much-needed ammo to the ruling party to launch an attack on the Congress-led UPA Government.Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik set the tone by slamming the Centre for considering special category state status for Bihar while ignoring repeated demands of Odisha.“I had taken up the demand for the special category state status to Odisha with the AB Vajpayee and the Manmohan Singh governments as well. Even though Odisha fulfills most of the criteria, its claims have consistently been ignored by successive governments at the Centre,” he told mediapersons after the meeting.Stating that he had also raised the issue at the meeting of the National Integration Council (NIC) and the National Development Council (NDC), the Chief Minister said the State Government would no more tolerate the step-motherly attitude of the Centre.“The Centre has done further injustice to Odisha by not accepting the State proposal for a special package for the KBK districts in the 12th Plan,” he said adding, approval of a special package under backward region grant fund for West Bengal by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs shows the anti-Odisha stance of the UPA Government.He further criticised the Centre for not acceding to its demand for imposition of mineral rent resources tax. “I have been demanding the Centre to allow imposition of the tax on profit-making mine owners but the Centre is yet to respond,” he said and added that the tax to be realised will be almost equal to the annual budget of the State.The State is losing heavily on the mining front due to delay in revision of royalty on minerals, he added. On the flood assistance, the Chief Minister said, “The flood grant from the Centre is too little, too late.” Reacting to the allegations made by the Opposition, the Chief Minister said his Government is ready to discuss any issue and respond stoutly. As notification for panchayat election will be made shortly, the Chief Minister said he had asked the party MLAs to unveil new projects before the election code of conduct comes into force.
Comments
0 comment