New Delhi: The Centre has turned down Odisha’s demand for special category status.
Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai told news agency ANI on Thursday that the status of special category no longer exists since the 14th Finance Commission has made no distinction between special and general category states.
He was responding to a query from ANI on whether the Centre would accord special category status to Odisha.
The Centre’s statement could be seen as a setback for the State, which has been persistent with its demand for the special status. The Odisha government had reiterated it after cyclone Fani battered the coastal districts on May 3.
During his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 11, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had raised the matter with him. In the subsequent Niti Aayog meeting, Naveen had demanded that natural calamity be included as a criterion for according the status.
This is, however, not the first time when the Centre has rejected Odisha’s demand. In 2013, during the UPA regime, the Planning Commission had turned it down, stating that Odisha does not meet the criteria set for the status.
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