Odisha Chief Minister (CM) Naveen patnaik on Saturday (15 June) raised his demand for the state of Odisha being accorded the Special Category Status (SCS) highlighting the state's vulnerability to natural calamities, reports TheHindu BusinessLine.
Patnaik stressed that natural calamity be included as a criterion for according the SCS to Odisha. He raised the issue at the fifth meeting of the Governing Council of the NITI Aayog which was chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi in Delhi.
Odisha CM further added that as an interim measure, states hit by major natural calamities may be declared as Special Focus States and be granted the benefits of SCS for a specific period.
Explaining the rationale for his demand, Patnaik mentioned the devastation suffered by Odisha as a result of cyclone Fani which had battered 14 districts while killing 64 individuals. According to Patnaik, the state had suffered losses to the tune of Rs 9,336.26 crore.
Comments ↓
An Appeal...
Dear Reader,
As you are no doubt aware, Swarajya is a media product that is directly dependent on support from its readers in the form of subscriptions. We do not have the muscle and backing of a large media conglomerate nor are we playing for the large advertisement sweep-stake.
Our business model is you and your subscription. And in challenging times like these, we need your support now more than ever.
We deliver over 10 - 15 high quality articles with expert insights and views. From 7AM in the morning to 10PM late night we operate to ensure you, the reader, get to see what is just right.
Becoming a Patron or a subscriber for as little as Rs 1200/year is the best way you can support our efforts.