Samikhsya Bureau
With a emphasis on the Infrastructural Development of Odisha, Biju Janata Dal Rajya Sabha MP, Dr.Sasmit Patra took a very firm stance in the house reiterating the demands made by the chief minister Naveen Patnaik during the 24th Eastern Zonal Council meeting held in Bhubaneswar.
Making a thrust on the Special Economic Package Patra in his special mention made a demand for the focus on Development of Eastern India reiterating what the chief minister had in the Council meeting,
Patra was assertive to say that, the development of Eastern India is a key to the development of the nation and he added that, in the recent EZC the essence provided by the chief minister was all about that.
There was a kind of unanimity, Patra went to mention that, all the participating chief ministers in that Council meeting stressed upon the point that, integration and creating a healthy inter-State and Centre-state relations, the integration, the integration has to be Financial, infrastructural, technological .
This would, Patra added that, lead and strengthen emotional integration. He further emphacised that, if a nation wide analysis is done for Tele-density, banking density, Rail& Road-density, then Easter Zone would be at the bottom in all these subjects that are in the Union list.
Reiterating what the chief minister had said, Patra said that, there is a need to double the allotments made to this region so that they catch up to the national benchmark.
The Easter zone , in fact, contributes maximum to the mineral wealth of the country. The fruits of this wealth should boost economic growth of this region and its people.
Royalty of the coal has not been revised from 2012, Patra further said that, there is an urgency to revise coal rotalty and to share the proceeds of clean energy cess with the state government.
Patra also emphacised the need for a Special Economic package for speeding up the Infrastructural Development of the region and he strongly held the view that, the Union government works strenuously towards the fulfillment of the demands made by the chief minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik .
