AHLUWALIA DENIED SPECIAL CATEGORY STATUS TO ODISHA

AHLUWALIA DENIED SPECIAL CATEGORY STATUS TO ODISHA 7/01/2012

ODISHA NEWS:


Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia on Friday did not appreciate the demand of the Odisha government for Special Category State status.
I do not agree that some people say the State cannot progress without Special Category Status, he said, while delivering the 11th edition of Nalco Foundation Day Lecture Series here.


Virtually rejecting the idea, Ahluwalia said that since the chief secretary of the state was claiming that the growth rate of the state was higher than that of the country and, for the last five years, it was maintaining the rate of nine per cent, then where was the need for Special Category Status.


There was no such proposal with the planning body at the moment to accord Special Category Status to Odisha, he, said, adding that the Planning Commission was not the forum to decide the issue and the National Development Council could take the final decision.


The Plan Panel deputy chairman said that the Centre had received proposal from several states on the issue of special category status.


But the Planning Commission was not considering the proposals. He clarified that the Centre was not neglecting Odisha or ignoring the state’s genuine claims. On national perspective, he said that the Planning Commission is in the process of finalizing the 12th five-year plan which would be ready in three months’ time.


He asserted that notwithstanding the global slowdown, Indian economy would register a modest nine per cent growth rate during the 12th Plan period.

SIDDHARTHA SHANKAR MISHRA,
BUREAU CHIEF, THESE DAYS,
ODISHA