Naveen seeks more infra funds from Modi

Urges PM to allocate funds for ongoing rail projects in Odisha, at a meeting at Modi's official residence in New Delhi

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today demanded financial assistance from the Centre for developing infrastructure aimed to support heavy crowd expected at the Rath Yatra next year which coincides with once-in-eighteen-year event of Nabakalebar (new idol creation of presiding deities of Puri Temple) and also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to allocate funds for ongoing rail projects in the state.

He raised these demands during a meeting with the Prime Minister at the latter's official residence in New Delhi. The meeting lasted for nearly 35 minutes. This was his second meeting with Modi in last four months. On June 2, he had met the Prime Minister along with his party MPs.

“Today we discussed issues such as grant of special category state status, Polavaram project and its consequence on Malkanagiri district, inclusion of Koshli and Ho language in the eighth schedule of the Constitution, special package for Nabakalebar 2015, funds for completion of ongoing railway projects and commencement of international flight operation from Bhubaneswar”, said Patnaik after his meeting with the Prime Minister.

“The PM said, he would look into all these matters and see what could be done,” he added.

The state government is facing difficulties in running international flights from the Bhubaneswar airport, due to lack of initiative from the Union Aviation ministry. The Biju Patnaik International Airport has remained a non-starter ever since its upgradation from domestic airport in October 2013.

Recently, the state had sought permission for Dubai-based low cost carrier flydubai to start flight service from Bhubaneswar. It had also wrote to the Centre urging the latter to start an international flight by state carrier Air India.

Among other issues, the Chief Minister reiterated the demand for early disbursal of compensation towards loss of revenue for reduction in the Central Sales Tax (CST) rate from 4 per cent to 2 per cent and requested the Centre to include more number of poor families from Odisha in the Indian Gandhi pension scheme.