Alleging neglect of Odisha by the Centre amid bonanza to other States, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday cried injustice and urged Prime Minister Manmmohan Singh to sanction a special package for the backward districts of the state at the earliest.
Mr. Patnaik conveyed the Orissa government’s feeling in a letter to the Prime Minister.
The fresh move came barely 15 days after the chief minister wrote a strongly worded letter to the prime minister on November 24 resenting the Centre’s refusal to grant special category state status to Odisha.
Quoting media reports, Mr. Patnaik said: “We come to know that the Union Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved a special package of Rs 8,750 crore for five years for the development of backward districts of West Bengal.”
Odisha, on other hand, got only Rs 340 crore under the Backward Region Grants Fund (BRGF) for 2011—12 for 19 backward districts (About Rs 1,700 crore over five years), he said.
This apart, Odisha’s proposal for continuation of the special package for KBK (Kalahandi-Bolangir-Koraput) districts in the 12th plan has not been considered so far, Mr. Patnaik said.
“Would it not seem to you, Sir, this is an injustice?,” Mr. Patnaik said in the letter to Prime Minister.
Stating that every part of India should get benefits under the BRGF, Mr. Patnaik said “the disparity between Rs 8,750 crore and Rs 1,700 crore seems to be quite glaring.”
Union Home minister P Chidambaram, who visited Odisha last month, should have apprised the Prime Minister about the situation here, he said.
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