Bhubaneswar, July 18: The Centre is mulling a special financial package for Odisha along with Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Jammua & Kashmir.
NDA government's ally JDU has intensified its lobby for special state category to Bihar ahead of state Assembly polls. Similarly, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has been reiterating his demand for special financial package for his state.
However, according to the new guidelines of NITI Aayog, no state will be accorded special state category following which the Centre is mulling special financial package for some backward states.
During the Centre's pre-budget discussion with states, some other states along with these six have demanded special financial aid for industrialisation, power, employment, agriculture and infrastructure development.
Notably Odisha has been demanding special state category for a long time as the state is prone to natural calamities and state MPs have raised the issue several times in Parliament, but in-vain.
However, after formation of the new BJP government in Odisha, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and his two deputies have discussed in this regard visiting finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. According to sources, the Centre is mulling to announce a special financial package for Odisha in the upcoming budget.
