BJD Demands Special Status For Odisha Again At All-Party Meeting; Know The Party’s Past Moves

New Delhi: Ahead of Parliamentary session, Naveen Patnaik-led BJD once again raised the demand for special category status to Odisha at the all-party meeting of MPs in New Delhi on Sunday.

While Nitish Kumar’s JDU and Lalu Prasad’s RJD demanded the same for Bihar, Jagan Mohan Reddy’s YSRC raised similar demands for Andhra Pradesh.

“Odisha has been deprived of the special category status for more than two decades. The BJD has been demanding for the special category status for Odisha. In the all-party meeting we had political parties from Bihar and Andhra Pradesh also demanding special category status for their respective states…we joined the issue with our counterparts from other states as well, who feel there is a similar need required for their respective states,” said BJD MP Sasmit Patra.

Odisha had placed the demand for special category state for the first time in 1979 in the National Development Council (NDC).

Each time BJD demanded the status
2022: BJD MP Sasmit Patra had made a special mention in the Parliament, demanding the status for the state. He had demanded amendment of Special Category Status norms to seek Odisha’s inclusion in the category.

2019: Naveen Patnaik had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding the status for Odisha. In the letter to Modi, he had mentioned that Odisha had faced historical neglect by successive Central governments and frequent natural calamities.

2018: Former BJD MP in Lok Sabha, Bhartruhari Mahtab, had said Odisha would intensify its demand if the Centre granted special category status to Andhra Pradesh. Former chief minister had reiterated Odisha’s demand for special category status at a meeting with NITI Aayog vice chairman Rajiv Kumar at the state secretariat.

2013: Odisha Assembly had unanimously adopted a resolution requesting the Centre to award special category status to the state. It sought additional central grants and fiscal incentives for its development. The resolution, moved by former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, was passed after seven hours of discussion

1990s: Similar effort was seen in the 1990s when both the 10th and 11th Odisha legislative assemblies adopted unanimous resolutions for the status.

When BJP-led Centre chose Uttarakhand over Odisha
In 2002-03, when the NDA was in power with BJD as an ally, the demand to declare Odisha a special category state was turned down by the Centre. The tag was accorded to Uttarakhand. The then deputy chairman of Planning Commission K C Pant had reportedly stated that Odisha’s demands weren’t legitimate.

11 states in India currently have the special category status
The concept of a special category state was first introduced in 1969. The 5th Finance Commission had sought to provide some disadvantaged states with preferential treatment in the form of central assistance. In 1969, it was first accorded to Jammu and Kashmir, Assam and Nagaland in 1969. At present, 11 states including Assam, Nagaland, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Uttarakhand and Telangana enjoy the special category state status.

What are the benefits for special states?
About 30% of the Union Budget goes to these states. The Centre pays 90% of the funds required in a centrally-sponsored scheme to special category status states as against 60% or 75% in case of other states.Unspent money is carried forward to next fiscal. Key concessions are provided to these states in excise and customs duties, income tax and corporate tax.