Union planning minister Rajiv Shukla's denial in the Parliament to grant special category status to Odisha sparked vehement protests among the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) legislators, paralysing proceedings in the state assembly.
As the house began to transact its business on the fourth day of the monsoon session, the BJD MLAs rushed to the well of the house and raised slogans against the Centre's indifference. The entire treasury bench was on its feet displaying banners in support of the special category status demand for the state. The loud protest brought the house to a standstill, forcing the speaker to adjourn it repeatedly.
Intensifying their demonstration, the BJD MLAs and also some ministers sat on a dharana in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue within the assembly premises. Later, 50-odd BJD legislators proceeded to the Raj Bhavan and handed over a memorandum to the Governor S C Jamir, justifying the state's demand for the special category tag.
"We submitted a memorandum to the Governor protesting the injustice meted out by the Centre to the state which was evident in the Union minister's statement in the Parliament on Thursday. The Governor has also accepted our demand as genuine”, said parliamentary affairs minister and BJD vice president Kalpataru Das.
The BJD MPs in New Delhi met Reserve Bank of India (RBI) designate Raghuram Rajan to apprise him on the state's demand. Rajan is heading a committee set up by the Centre to consider fresh indicators for according special category status to states.
"It is most unfortunate that the Union minister Rajeev Shukla has denied Odisha’s rightful demand for special category status. We will continue in our rightful struggle for the demand of more than 40 million people of Odisha for special category status for our state”, said chief minister Naveen Patnaik.
The Opposition leader Bhupinder Singh, however, defended the Congress led UPA government at the Centre, claiming the UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi has been exploring ways to confer special category status to backward states like Odisha.
Instead of participating in the adjournment motion on the issue of special category status for Odisha, the ruling party MLAs disrupted the proceedings for narrow political gains.
In May this year, the Planning Commission had spurned the Odisha government's long-standing demand for a special category status, clarifying that the state with stable fiscal indicators and being devoid of an international border does not meet the criteria for such a tag.
Grant of special category tag to a state is determined by a host of criteria- hilly and difficult terrain, low population density or sizeable share of tribal population, strategic location along borders with neighbouring countries, economic and infrastructural backwardness and non viable nature of state finances.
