Bhubaneswar,Jan.09 : Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today extended a warm welcome to the Chairman, Members, and officials of the 15th Finance Commission and reiterated the demand of Special Category Status for Odisha.
A meeting between the Odisha Government and the Commission was held here today in the presence of ministers and senior bureaucrats of the state government and Nand Kishore Singh, chairman of the commission.
The Chief Minister said, “It is in this premise of historic Central neglect and frequent natural calamities that my Government has been demanding Special Category Status for Odisha which will supplement our efforts in transforming the State.”
The Odisha CM also sought a special package of Rs 1500 crore to build more cyclone shelters and improve disaster warning system in the state.
“The Finance Commission is a unique Constitutional authority, with the mandate for making recommendations to the Union Government on the principles of revenue sharing,” Patnaik said.
The chief minister also presented some major suggestions of Odisha to the Commission which area: Increasing tax devolution from 42% to 50% 2; making cess and surcharges as part of divisible pool; use of 1971 population as devolution criteria; extension of GST compensation for another 10 years, clean energy cess to be spent in Coal Mining Areas.
“We have submitted a detailed memorandum to the Commission. I am hopeful that the Commission will incorporate all our suggestions and aid in the rapid progress of Odisha,” Patnaik urged the commission.
It may be mentioned here that the Finance Commission is on a four-day visit to Odisha to hold detailed meetings with the state government and discuss its financial and other issues.
Prasanta Patnaik