In a major setback to the Naveen Patnaik Government as well as the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the Planning Commission has made it clear that Odisha does not qualify for the grant of Special Category Status.
“You will appreciate that under the existing for criteria approval by the National Development Council, Odisha does not qualify for grant of Special Category Status,” Planning Commission Deputy Chairman, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, said in a letter to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
Ahluwalia’s communication came in response to Patnaik’s letter to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, on the matter of special category status for Odisha, written on November 24, 2011.
The Planning Commission’s letter rejecting Odisha’s demand came at a time when the ruling BJD had launched an agitation and initiated signature campaign to fulfil its long-standing demand.