Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has decided to reiterate his old demand of imposing windfall tax on miners and according special category state status to Orissa during prime minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to the state.
“I will not meet him, but I will certainly remind him about these demands,” Patnaik said. It may be noted chief minister will be sharing the dais with prime minister during inauguration ceremony of the Indian Science Congress at KIIT Campus here.
The CM had earlier made a strong bid for the introduction of windfall tax at the rate of 50 per cent of the super normal profit earned by the miners in line with Mineral Resource Rent Tax imposed by the Australia government, through a letter to the PM.
The state cabinet in December has already approved the proposal for imposition of the tax and is pleading the Central government to take initiatives regarding the matter. According to the constitution, imposing taxes on minerals is the prerogative of the Central government.
Orissa will also reiterate its long standing demand of according special category status, which has been rejected by the Central government several times. The provision for granting special category status includes higher presence of tribal and proximity to international border among other issues.
Meanwhile, the state Congress party has prepared a list of grievances against state government to brief the PM during his short visit to the state Congress Bhawan. It has decided to discuss the issue of state government misleading voters about rural welfare schemes saying it had spent money from its own exchequer, while it was actually funded by the Central government.
“Besides, we will discuss about the corruption issues in the state government,” Niranjan Patnaik, state Congress president said.
