Chief secretary stumped by Montek Googly

BHUBANESWAR: Little did Chief Secretary Bijay Kumar Patnaik know his projection of the State’s positive growth picture will be usurped by Montek Singh Ahluwalia and backfire on Friday.  Patnaik had just mentioned in his speech at the Nalco Foundation Day Lecture Series that Odisha has clocked a growth rate of 9 per cent in the last 10 years keeping pace with and sometimes ahead of the national rate. Besides, the Government has been able to reduce poverty by 10 per cent. In case of southern and western districts, the reduction in poverty was to the extent of 20 per cent, he said.  Soon after Ahluwalia was asked if Odisha should have been given the Special Category State (SCS) status. He quipped, “The special status is to propel development. Why do you need SCS status when the State is registering a healthy 9 per cent growth rate, just like your Chief Secretary said.”  However, Ahluwalia was quick to point out that the SCS is decided and accorded by the National Development Council which already has made its decision and is unlikely to review it entirely. “Besides, Odisha is not the only state to have felt that it deserves the special category status. There are many more,” the Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission said.