BJD Vice President Debi Prasad Mishra Criticizes Odisha CM for Not Demanding Special Status at NITI Aayog Meeting
Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], July 28: BJD Vice President Debi Prasad Mishra expressed disappointment with Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi for not raising the demand for special category status for the state in the NITI Aayog meeting held on July 27.
“We expected that the central government in the budget would announce special category status or at least special dispensation for the state of Odisha but it was not considered. I am astonished why CM Mohan Majhi didn’t raise the demand for special category status in the NITI Aayog meeting. It is a genuine demand. We will raise this issue in Rajya Sabha as well as Vidhan Sabha,” said Debi Prasad Mishra.
He further mentioned that Odisha’s performance as a state is very good and the state has been successful in reducing poverty. “During the tenure of former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, according to the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act, Odisha’s fiscal discipline is good in the country and Odisha is reducing multi-dimensional poverty. The Gross State Domestic Product of Odisha is sometimes higher than the national. Andhra Pradesh and Bihar got special packages; we don’t have any grudges, but the genuine demand of Odisha has not been fulfilled,” he added.
Earlier, Union Minister Satish Chandra Dubey said that under Prime Minister Modi’s government, no state is treated “step-motherly”. Chief Ministers of opposition-led states including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Telangana, Delhi, and Punjab boycotted the 9th NITI Aayog’s Governing Council meeting chaired by PM Modi at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre in the national capital.
“Odisha is an inseparable part of India and in PM Modi’s government, no state is treated step-motherly. Everyone will get what they deserve. I will visit NALCO (National Aluminium Company Limited) and will review the arrangements there. A lot of work has been done in the last 10 years,” Union Minister of State for Coal and Mines told reporters.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, while presenting the Union Budget 2024-25, made major announcements for Bihar and Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday, including a boost in infrastructure.
Doubts Revealed
BJD -: BJD stands for Biju Janata Dal, which is a political party in the Indian state of Odisha.
Vice President -: In this context, the Vice President is a high-ranking official in the BJD party, not the Vice President of India.
Debi Prasad Mishra -: Debi Prasad Mishra is a leader in the BJD party and holds the position of Vice President within the party.
Odisha CM -: Odisha CM refers to the Chief Minister of Odisha, who is the head of the government in the state of Odisha.
Special Status -: Special status is a classification given to some states in India, which allows them to receive more financial help from the central government.
NITI Aayog -: NITI Aayog is a policy think tank of the Government of India, which helps in making important decisions for the country’s development.
Mohan Charan Majhi -: Mohan Charan Majhi is the Chief Minister of Odisha, the person in charge of the state government.
Union Minister -: A Union Minister is a member of the central government of India, responsible for specific departments or ministries.
Satish Chandra Dubey -: Satish Chandra Dubey is a Union Minister in the Indian government, involved in national-level decision-making.
PM Modi -: PM Modi refers to Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, who is the head of the central government.
Opposition-led states -: Opposition-led states are those states in India where the ruling party is different from the party that controls the central government.
Boycotted -: Boycotted means that some states chose not to attend the NITI Aayog meeting as a form of protest.