Thu Jan 30 23:33:17 UTC 2025: **BJD Renews Demand for Special Status for Odisha Ahead of Budget Session**
Bhubaneswar, January 31, 2025 – The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has reiterated its demand for special category status for Odisha, calling it a long-overdue commitment. Ahead of the upcoming Budget Session of Parliament, BJD Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra criticized the BJP government for failing to fulfill its 2014 election promise. Patra highlighted the BJP’s “double-engine” government in the state and at the center as a reason why the promise remains unfulfilled.
The BJD plans to intensify its campaign for special status both inside and outside Parliament. Party supremo Naveen Patnaik has instructed Rajya Sabha MPs to raise the issue, emphasizing the urgent need for additional funds to aid farmers affected by recent unseasonal rains. The party suggested that if special category status is not feasible, a “Special Focus State” designation should be considered.
Other key demands voiced by the BJD include doubling the minimum support price (MSP) for paddy in line with the Swaminathan Commission Report, addressing food inflation and economic distress, and resolving the Polavaram and Mahanadi water disputes. The party also accused the central government of withholding ₹10,000 crore annually in coal royalties for the past decade, hindering Odisha’s development. The BJD intends to vigorously pursue these issues during the upcoming parliamentary session.
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