BJD MPs to raise special category status for Odisha in

The Biju Janata Dal MPs will raise the demand of special category status for Odisha and a number of other issues during the winter session of Parliament which is scheduled to start from December 11, a senior party leader said Sunday.

The BJD Parliamentary party meeting presided over by party chief and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik chalked out the strategy to be adopted by the regional party MPs during the winter session of Parliament.

"The party will demand special status for Odisha in both the Houses of the Parliament," said BJD spokesman and MP Pratap Deb after the meeting held at Naveen Niwas here Sunday.

Deb said the BJD was opposed to the Centre's stand that the special category status could not be accorded to any state as per the recommendation of the Niti Ayog. "The norms can be changed as the state deserved to get the special category status," Deb said.

The BJD leader said the party MPs will raise several other issues including 33 per cent reservations for women in Parliament and state Assemblies and would demand financial assistance for cyclonic storm Titli-hit districts in the state during the session.

Stating that the meeting resolved that even as the state contributed much to the railways, the projects were being delayed.

"We will lay emphasis on the Central negligence towards Odisha," said BJD Rajya Sabha MP SR Patnaik after the meeting.

Apart from special category status and women reservation matters, the BJD MPs will also raise issues like Polavaram, Chhattisgarhs barrage on Mahanadi, SC/ST scholarship funding pattern change, state's demand of running a special train in name of Bauxi Jagabandhu and farmers issues during the session, he said.