CM Patnaik to press special category state for Odisha at NITI meet

BHUBANESWAR: The demand for special category state (SCS) status for Odisha seems to be back on the agenda of the ruling BJD. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik told media persons in New Delhi that he will raise the issue again at the meeting of the governing council of the NITI Aayog on Sunday. “I will raise the long-standing demand for SCS status to Odisha which faces frequent calamities like cyclones and floods. Other demands of the State will also be raised,” he said.

The governing council meeting of the NITI Aayog to be held at the national capital on August 7, will be presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Chief Minister had raised the demand on July 28 during a meeting with the chairman of the NITI Aayog Suman Bery and member VK Paul at the Naveen Nivas here. He had said that the SCS status is very important for Odisha which faces natural disasters like cyclones and floods every year resulting in massive damage to infrastructure.

Naveen attended the meeting on Azadi Ki Amrit Mahotsav convened by Modi for 75th Independence Day celebrations. The Chief Minister told media persons after the meeting that Odisha’s contribution to the freedom struggle is considerable. “Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was also born in Odisha and we all know his contribution to the movement,” he said.